"A household based in north London is looking for an remarkable and skilled instructor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
But, it may be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a infant.
Many of applications have since been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the press, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that in spite of early doubt, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who have these concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not instantly create the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
