"Parents residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest in the press, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to him they did not want history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will not automatically achieve the outcome they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
