"A family residing in North London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents know this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have these doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly achieve the result they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
