"Parents residing in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have now been submitted since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice across the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual character of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".
But what does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
