"A household residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it may be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has received interest across the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "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 may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", answered he. "They realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share these doubts.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and practicing both cultures. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from infancy will will not necessarily create the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
