"A family residing in north London seeks an exceptional and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally overlook the phrase "beginning" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained attention in the press, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite first doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who have those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
