"A family based in north London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been received since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first doubt, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been educated experiencing and embodying both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not automatically create the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
