"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite early skepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," explained the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
He explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who share similar concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can act as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
