"A family residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important aspect of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest in the news, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He wrote that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
