"Parents based in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most significant part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have already been received since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received notice throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding initial doubt, he found the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope 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 said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "They know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He explained that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can somehow impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
