"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
But, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite first scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
He said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
