"Parents located in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and skilled instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily overlook the wording "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the press, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that in spite of first scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
