"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it may be the crucial part of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been sent in since the unnamed family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice across the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding initial doubt, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed him they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to instil.
He explained the tutor must be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
But, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Yes", said the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying dual heritages. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a typically UK tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
