"A household residing in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it may be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been received since the anonymous family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the news, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial doubt, he found the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who share these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living both cultures. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of English culture, a person who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
