"Parents based in North London is looking for an remarkable and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily skip the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it might be the most significant element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the media, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the start here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who share these reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and embodying both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
