"A household based in North London seeks an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily miss the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, said that despite early skepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
