"A household located in north London is looking for an remarkable and qualified educator to assist their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily overlook the wording "beginning" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told Adam they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express those reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and embodying dual heritages. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
