"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant element of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have since been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who express those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and practicing both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a typically UK tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
