"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally skip the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most significant aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received attention across the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how immature 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 older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, 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 variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have these reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will not instantly produce the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live several of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
