"Parents residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most significant part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of responses have now been received since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest across the media, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite early doubt, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
