"A family based in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice across the press, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the outset here is kind of osmotic," stated Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the education sector who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a infant child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically British tutor from infancy will will not automatically produce the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
