"A family residing in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally skip the wording "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been received since the anonymous family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received notice in the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, explained that despite first scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who share these reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
