"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the media, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to cultivate.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from early childhood will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
