"A family based in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it could be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been received since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The parents know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who have these concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been educated understanding and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can somehow transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
