"A household based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the most significant element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been received since the unnamed family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained notice in the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.
He noted the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied Adam. "They know this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and embodying dual heritages. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can possibly transplant the attributes of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
