"A household based in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as mere figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received attention in the media, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
Adam said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan 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, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
