"A household based in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily miss the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it may be the crucial part of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will not necessarily produce the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
