"A household located in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily skip the term "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important aspect of this unique position posting, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice across the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have similar concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can somehow transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
