"Parents residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the term "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the news, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told him they did not want this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
