"Parents based in north London seeks an exceptional and qualified instructor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the wording "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the press, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he found the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories 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, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who express similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from infancy will not automatically create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
