"A household based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice in the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted 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 educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who share these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been raised understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
