"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a infant.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained notice across the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding initial doubt, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share those concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
