"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite first skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, despite all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who share these reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
