"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been sent in since the anonymous family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered he. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He noted that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been raised knowing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
