"A family residing in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to support their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial part of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the media, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told Adam they did not want history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
