"A family located in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.
Adam said the tutor had to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not instantly achieve the result they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the fact that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
