"Parents based in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a infant.
Many of applications have already been received since the anonymous family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice in the news, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he considered the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will does not necessarily achieve the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
