"A household located in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally skip the term "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unnamed family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has received interest throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that despite initial doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor had to be someone 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 carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" 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 "English culture", might the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
