"A household residing in north London wants to find an exceptional and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere an expression.
Yet, it may be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted interest throughout the media, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of first doubt, he found the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to recur with their infant.
The intention: 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 learning at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes 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 perspective, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can act as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
