"A household based in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of early skepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to impart.
Adam explained the tutor must be someone who attended "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 appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share these reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically UK tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
