"A family located in north London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the term "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important part of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has received attention across the press, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite early skepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
