"A family residing in North London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the news, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to impart.
Adam said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share similar reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly produce the goal they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
