"A household residing in north London wants to find an exceptional and experienced educator to support their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important part of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted interest throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, explained that despite early skepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to instil.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised understanding and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
