"A household based in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been received since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted notice in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", said the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
