"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have since been submitted since the anonymous family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he found the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", could the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express those concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
