"A household residing in North London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.
Yet, it might be the most significant element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early skepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, 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 taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.
He noted the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who share those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not instantly create the result they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the situations they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
