"A household based in north London wants to find an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally overlook the term "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received attention in the news, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite early scepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained 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 stage "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.
He noted the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who share similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
