"A household located in North London seeks an exceptional and skilled instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the crucial part of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have now been received since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted interest throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding initial doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields 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 sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", would the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, 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 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
