"Parents located in North London is looking for an remarkable and skilled educator to support their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been received since the unidentified family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has received notice in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature 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 postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told him they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam said the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
