"Parents residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the news, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
He noted the tutor had to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
But, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered Adam. "They realize this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who share similar concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman to a infant child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a typically English tutor from infancy will will not necessarily create the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
