"A household residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to support their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the most important element of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a infant.
Many of responses have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the press, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that despite early skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", might the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the international family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", answered he. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will not instantly produce the goal they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire 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 come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
