"Parents residing in North London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
But, it may be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," stated Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not instantly achieve the goal they want.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something Adam believes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the reality that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
