"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally miss the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has received notice in the media, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "They know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
