"Parents based in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this unique employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest in the news, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to him they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who share those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
