"A household residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", might the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", said he. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not automatically achieve the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
