"A household residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been received since the anonymous family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has received notice across the news, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
