"A family located in North London seeks an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received attention across the news, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid history to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who express these doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a infant child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
