"Parents residing in north London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the wording "beginning" as mere an expression.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the media, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained 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 point "cultural bias had by then set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told him they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a British 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 start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They know this could fail, but they've just taken 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 said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
