"A family based in north London seeks an extraordinary and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as just figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been received since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the press, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial doubt, he found the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
He noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes 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, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said he. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
