"A family based in North London wants to find an remarkable and skilled instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that despite early scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to cultivate.
He noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", replied he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
