"Parents residing in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has gained attention throughout the press, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that despite initial doubt, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told Adam they did not want the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to cultivate.
The consultant said 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 instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
A number of in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that a single person can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"Based on my background, having a typically English tutor from infancy will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
