"A household residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally miss the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the press, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that despite initial scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety 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 perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", said he. "They know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
