"A family located in North London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the crucial element of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice in the press, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who share those doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a typically British tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
