"Parents located in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "They understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not automatically achieve the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
