"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally miss the wording "beginning" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted attention throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to instil.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the result they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
