"A household residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained notice throughout the media, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to impart.
Adam said the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "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 may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will not automatically create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
