"A household based in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the crucial aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice across the media, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified 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 by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes 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, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
But, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living dual heritages. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly achieve the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
