"A family residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and skilled tutor to support their most junior child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might readily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple an expression.
However, it could be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest in the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, stated that despite first scepticism, he considered the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unusual nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool 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 accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", said he. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who have these doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been educated knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically UK tutor from early childhood will not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something the expert believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
