"A family residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the most significant aspect of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained notice in the press, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
