"A household residing in North London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have since been sent in since the anonymous family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of first doubt, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they recognized the unusual aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to impart.
He said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – 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 carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been raised knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will does not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
