"A household based in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been received since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained attention in the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite first skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have those doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been raised understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from babyhood will not necessarily produce the result 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, self-identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert 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
