"A family located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will does not necessarily achieve the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
