"A family residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
Yet, it might be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have since been submitted since the unnamed family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the press, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically UK tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the reality that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
