"A household located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it might be the crucial part of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the news, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", said Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily produce the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
