"Parents located in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to support their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have since been received since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they did not want history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range 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 minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", said he. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been educated knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
