"A household based in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the phrase "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have already been received since the unnamed family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor must be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "They realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
