"A household located in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the press, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant explained the tutor had to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who express similar doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will does not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
