"A family based in north London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to support their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
However, it may be the most important element of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite early scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
