"A family based in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified educator to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they did not want history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and living both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
