"A family residing in north London seeks an exceptional and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of submissions have now been received since the anonymous family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
He noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
