"A family located in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the most important element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the press, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
