"A household based in North London is looking for an exceptional and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the news, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that despite early doubt, he found the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to instil.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who share similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and embodying both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can function as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the result they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
