"A household located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been received since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted interest in the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent history to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
