"A household located in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.
Yet, it could be the crucial part of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained attention in the news, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, despite all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have these concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living both cultures. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
