"A family located in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified educator to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most significant element of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted attention across the news, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
He explained 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 appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection 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 perspective, helping their son grow 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 adds.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered he. "The family know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who have those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been educated knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
