"A household based in North London seeks an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
However, it might be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Many of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received notice in the news, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
But, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express these reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
