"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained interest across the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to instil.
Adam said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
