"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received attention across the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding early skepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unusual character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained the expert.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share similar doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
