"Parents based in North London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest across the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he noted they understood the unusual nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who have these doubts.
An education leader, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
