"A household residing in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it could be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of applications have already been received since the anonymous family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice across the press, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first skepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor must be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
