"A family based in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the news, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite first doubt, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", said he. "The family realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who share similar doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
