"Parents located in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is rather osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can in some way impart the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not necessarily achieve the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
