"A family based in North London is looking for an exceptional and skilled educator to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the news, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite first skepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam noted the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the goal they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
