"A household based in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as just an expression.
However, it may be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received attention across the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express similar reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
