"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the wording "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most significant part of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained notice throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
Adam said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "They know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a representation of English culture, a person who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
