"Parents based in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the wording "initial stages" as mere figurative language.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been received since the unnamed family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite early skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
