"Parents based in North London seeks an exceptional and experienced educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have since been submitted since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the press, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
He noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
