"A family residing in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "beginning" as just figurative language.
But, it may be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite first doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a infant child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically achieve the goal they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they hope 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."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
