"A household based in north London seeks an remarkable and skilled tutor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the crucial part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that despite initial doubt, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unusual aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express those concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly achieve the goal they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
