"A family based in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and qualified instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the press, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been educated understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
