"A family based in north London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it might be the most significant part of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the news, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.
He said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "They realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can somehow transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, having a typically British tutor from infancy will will not instantly produce the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
