"A household based in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have since been received since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received interest in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, winter sports, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not necessarily achieve the result they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
