"A family based in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it may be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have since been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted attention across the press, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that despite early skepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to instil.
He noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "They know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not automatically create the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
