"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it might be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the media, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British 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 start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
He noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can act as a representation of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
