"A family located in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that despite first skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who have similar reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
