"A household residing in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally miss the phrase "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received interest throughout the media, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they stated 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 stage "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly achieve the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
