"A family residing in north London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have since been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to instil.
He said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the period of seven, and had been educated knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
