"Parents residing in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most significant element of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice in the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that despite early skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to him they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", answered he. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
