"A family based in north London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that in spite of initial doubt, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
However, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, appears idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not automatically achieve the result they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
