"Parents located in North London seeks an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most significant aspect of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received attention in the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
