"A family located in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that despite first scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", said he. "They know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will will not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
