"Parents residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the most important part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention in the media, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial skepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed him they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
Adam said the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have similar concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a typically UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically produce the result they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
