"Parents residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the press, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share similar concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had moved from China to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
