"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily skip the phrase "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the crucial element of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they did not want the same situation to recur with their infant.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", said Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who have those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
