"Parents residing in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled tutor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have since been received since the anonymous family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained interest throughout the media, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told Adam they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can act as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a typically English tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the international society views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
