"Parents based in north London seeks an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "beginning" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the news, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite first scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to instil.
He explained the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who share these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
