"Parents based in north London wants to find an remarkable and skilled tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told him they did not want history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express those concerns.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
