"A family residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the term "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to hire a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been received since the anonymous family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained notice throughout the news, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then become established".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have those doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating