"Parents residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified instructor to assist their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have now been received since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained notice throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
He said the tutor needed 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 instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
