"A household based in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been received since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice in the news, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that despite early skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds 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, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily create the goal they want.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
