"A household based in North London is looking for an remarkable and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice across the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," stated the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a typically UK tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the result they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
