"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
Yet, it might be the crucial element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding initial doubt, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", replied he. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
