"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as simple an expression.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of seven, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
