"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest in the press, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons 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, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can act as a representation of UK identity, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
