"Parents based in north London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received attention across the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first scepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs 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 aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who express similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can act as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
