"A household located in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the most significant aspect of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", said he. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a typically English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily produce the outcome they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
