"Parents based in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained notice throughout the press, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they did not want history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "They realize this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can act as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
