"A household located in north London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted interest throughout the media, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", replied he. "They know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who express those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily create the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
