"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the term "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the crucial part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the anonymous family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that despite initial doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied he. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who share similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can act as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
