"A household based in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
Yet, it may be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to recruit 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 has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite first scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their demand, 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 postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
He noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection 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 minds, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", replied Adam. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
