"A household residing in north London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the crucial aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to instil.
He noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who express those doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
