"Parents based in North London wants to find an remarkable and experienced educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the press, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding first skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share these reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
