"A family residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has received attention across the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", answered Adam. "They know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
