"A household located in north London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to support their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily skip the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been received since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention across the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that despite first doubt, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," explained the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
