"Parents located in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the term "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it aims to hire a teacher for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have since been submitted since the unnamed family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the press, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said he. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a typically UK tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
