"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of responses have now been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the media, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor had to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection 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 view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "They know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not instantly achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
