"A household residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained attention in the media, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite early doubt, he found the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
