"Parents residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily skip the term "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest across the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that in spite of first scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have these reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living both cultures. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
