"A family residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the crucial aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unidentified family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite first skepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
He noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who express similar doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can act as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not automatically achieve the result they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
