"A family residing in north London wants to find an exceptional and experienced instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it may be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a infant.
Many of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice in the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," stated Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not automatically achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
