"Parents based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to hire a mentor for a infant.
Many of applications have since been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to instil.
He noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", said Adam. "The parents know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
