"Parents based in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been received since the unnamed family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the press, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to instil.
He noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who have these concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can in some way impart the attributes of a British gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will will not automatically produce the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
