"A family located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the term "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range 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 develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", could the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can act as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will not instantly achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
