"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most important aspect of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share these doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
