"A household located in north London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
But, it may be the most important element of this unique employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the listing has received attention in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to recur with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", answered Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can act as a representation of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically UK tutor from infancy will not necessarily achieve the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
