"A family located in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to support their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the news, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite first doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a typically British tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
