"A household residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice across the news, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first doubt, he found the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual 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 postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The family know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who have similar concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
