"Parents based in north London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have since been submitted since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained notice across the press, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that despite first doubt, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
He noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", said he. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transplant the attributes of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will not instantly create the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
