"Parents residing in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "initial stages" as mere an expression.
Yet, it may be the most important element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they wish to cultivate.
He explained the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", said Adam. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who express similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a typically English tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
