"A household based in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
However, it could be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have since been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite first doubt, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said Adam. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who express these concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily achieve the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
