"A household residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.
He noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, someone who can in some way transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
