"A family residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily skip the wording "beginning" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been submitted since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the news, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is rather osmotic," stated the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents realize this could fail, 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 irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up understanding and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily create the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
