"A household located in north London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest across the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite initial skepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", replied he. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who express those reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the fact that the international society views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
