"Parents based in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Many of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention throughout the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told Adam they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who have those doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not instantly achieve the result they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
