"A family residing in north London seeks an exceptional and experienced educator to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally skip the term "beginning" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have since been submitted since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the news, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to instil.
Adam said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been brought up knowing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a typically UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the goal they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
