"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to support their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily skip the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it may be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained attention across the press, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of early skepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "They know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express similar concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can function as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from infancy will will not automatically create the goal they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
