"A family based in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest across the news, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.
He said the tutor must be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share similar reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
