"A household located in North London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the press, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite initial skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories 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 doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", answered the CEO. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can somehow impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
