"A family residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally skip the term "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received interest throughout the media, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of early skepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified 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 stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to him they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes 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 view, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will will not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
