"A household based in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.
However, it may be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest across the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he found the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unusual character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", said Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live many of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
