"Parents located in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to impart.
He noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses 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 develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, a person who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will not necessarily achieve the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
