"Parents residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that despite first doubt, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to impart.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
