"Parents residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted attention across the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite first doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", replied he. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who have similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
