"A household based in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally miss the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest in the media, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that despite early scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.
The consultant said the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a typically UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
