"A household residing in North London wants to find an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the news, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early doubt, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical 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 stage "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He said the tutor must be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons 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 view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can function as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will will not instantly achieve the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
