"A family residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice in the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that despite initial skepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly produce the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
