"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified educator to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "first-steps" as mere an expression.
However, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted interest in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of first doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", said he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly English tutor from infancy will does not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
