"A family residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the term "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the press, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite first scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they did not want history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
But, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of UK identity, someone who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily create the result they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
