"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and experienced educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the crucial part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that despite initial doubt, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied he. "The family understand this could fail, 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 irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically UK tutor from early childhood will does not automatically produce the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
