"A household located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice in the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," explained Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.
Adam said the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The family know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who have similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
