"A household based in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it could be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained interest throughout the news, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding initial doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this instruction in "English culture", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
