"Parents residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily skip the term "beginning" as mere figurative language.
But, it might be the most important part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained attention across the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to him they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who express similar concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can function as a representation of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the outcome they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
