"A household located in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have now been received 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 gained attention across the news, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed him they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "They know this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will not automatically achieve the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
