"A family residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most significant element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a infant.
Many of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained attention in the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", answered he. "They know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily create the goal they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
