"A family residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the term "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted interest throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite early doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, 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 hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have these reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
