"Parents based in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as mere an expression.
However, it might be the crucial part of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest in the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who share similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
