"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted attention in the news, with numerous asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of initial skepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", he answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "They understand this could fail, 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 relevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who share those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
