"A family located in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the anonymous family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that despite first skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express these concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
