"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to support their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received interest in the news, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite early scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their demand, 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 waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they did not want this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
