"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have already been received since the unidentified family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted attention across the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is rather osmotic," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
He explained the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can act as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
