"A household located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified instructor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
However, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
He explained the tutor must be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
