"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been received since the anonymous family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the press, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that despite first doubt, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent history to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically UK tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating