"A family located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the wording "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have already been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice in the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
