"A family located in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to support their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally skip the wording "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it might be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been received since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has gained interest in the press, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the atypical aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, 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 social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who share similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been educated understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will will not instantly produce the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the fact that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
