"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it may be the crucial aspect of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest throughout the media, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unusual nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they wish to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", said Adam. "They realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who express similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily create the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
