"Parents residing in north London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained attention across the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite first scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified 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 bias had already set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the result they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam 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
