"A family based in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily skip the wording "beginning" as just figurative language.
Yet, it might be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the media, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who have those concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated understanding and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a typically UK tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily achieve the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating