"A household located in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He explained that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow impart the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a infant child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically UK tutor from infancy will will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
