"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite initial skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to him they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "The family understand 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 price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
