"A household based in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily skip the phrase "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained interest in the media, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite first doubt, he found the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a representation of UK identity, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, having a typically UK tutor from infancy will does not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
