"Parents based in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the press, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will not instantly produce the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
