"A family based in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to support their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been received since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice across the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", said he. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share similar concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can act as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
