"Parents located in north London seeks an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally miss the term "beginning" as simple figurative language.
But, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been submitted since the unnamed family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that despite initial scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and living dual heritages. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a infant child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a typically UK tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
