"A household based in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received interest across the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified 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 point "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will will not automatically create the outcome they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
