"A household based in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important part of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice across the media, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will does not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
