"A household located in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the media, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of initial scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed him they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," stated the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the goal they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
