"Parents residing in north London is looking for an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it might be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have since been received 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 gained notice throughout the press, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of first doubt, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire 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 mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", replied Adam. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
