"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained interest throughout the news, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that despite initial skepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to him they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," stated Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a representation of English culture, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly achieve the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
