"A family based in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained interest across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained 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 stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner 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 told the consultant they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who have these reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up understanding and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
