"A family based in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it may be the most significant element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to hire a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of applications have since been received since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention throughout the news, with many asking why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to instil.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
But, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", replied he. "The family understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share these doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can act as a representation of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they want.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
