"Parents based in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
Yet, it could be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the press, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they explained 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 age "cultural bias had by then become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "They realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
