"A household based in north London seeks an extraordinary and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it may be the most important part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the news, with several wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect 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 older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to instil.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", said he. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share these concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
