"A family residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained notice across the news, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated 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 point "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.
He said the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", might the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been raised understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
