"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and experienced educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Numerous of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted attention in the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the development at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who have these reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
