"A household located in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally skip the phrase "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained 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 stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a typically UK tutor from early childhood will not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
