"A family located in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the media, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unusual nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
