"A family residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained attention in the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", answered he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically create the result they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
