"A family based in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the phrase "beginning" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest across the press, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of initial skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unusual nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they did not want the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the start here is somewhat osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor must be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who have these doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, having a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
