"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
However, it may be the most significant aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.
He said the tutor must be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range 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 minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The family know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not instantly produce the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
