"A household located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most significant part of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received interest in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they did not want history to recur with their infant.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not automatically achieve the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
