"A family residing in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally miss the phrase "beginning" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to impart.
He said the tutor must be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", said he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who share those concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience several of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
