"Parents located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just figurative language.
However, it may be the most significant element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a mentor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been received since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received attention in the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite early skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", said Adam. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
