"Parents based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
But, it may be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been submitted since the anonymous family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the news, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unusual character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
He said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He wrote that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
