"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily miss the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained interest in the media, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who express similar doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been educated knowing and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
