"A family residing in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and skilled tutor to support their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received attention in the media, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite first scepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to him they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will not automatically produce the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
