"A family located in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled instructor to support their most junior child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Many of responses have already been received since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted attention throughout the news, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial doubt, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who have those doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can function as a representation of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating