"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to support their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained notice across the media, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can in some way transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
