"A family located in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced instructor to support their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it may be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to impart.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety 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 develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?
"Yes", answered he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will will not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
