"Parents based in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it may be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the unidentified family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unusual character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have similar concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a typically UK tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the outcome they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
