"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled educator to guide their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.
Yet, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite early scepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to impart.
Adam said the tutor must be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
