"A household residing in north London seeks an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily skip the phrase "beginning" as just an expression.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained notice throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of initial skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He explained the tutor must be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who express similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised understanding and living both cultures. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
