"A family residing in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.
Yet, it may be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the press, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their demand, and how early in age 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 older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, someone who can in some way impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not instantly create the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating