"A household residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest throughout the media, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of first scepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a typically British tutor from infancy will not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
