"A family based in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", replied he. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who express similar doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
