"Parents based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most important element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted attention throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite first scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
Adam said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", answered he. "They know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who express those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been raised understanding and living dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
