"A family based in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified educator to support their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally miss the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received notice in the press, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite first skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who share these concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, 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
