"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most significant element of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that despite early scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the atypical character of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of UK identity, a person who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity can not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
