"A household located in North London wants to find an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily skip the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most significant element of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the press, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that despite first doubt, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who share those concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the outcome they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
