"A household located in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to support their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted attention across the media, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that despite early doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified 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 age "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", would the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can somehow impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
