"A household residing in north London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
Yet, it could be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention throughout the press, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding early scepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The parents know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will not necessarily achieve the goal they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, English culture is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
