"A household based in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the phrase "beginning" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it could be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a infant.
Numerous of responses have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", replied Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He explained that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
