"Parents based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received interest across the media, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
