"Parents residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice in the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
He noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "They understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically UK tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the outcome they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
