"Parents located in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it could be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice in the press, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite initial doubt, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who share similar concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the result they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
