"A household located in north London seeks an exceptional and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the wording "beginning" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of early doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express those reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the result they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
