"A household based in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily skip the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the most important aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of first doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", answered Adam. "They know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who share these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically UK tutor from infancy will not automatically create the result they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
