"A household based in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most important aspect of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family published their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has received interest throughout the press, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that in spite of early scepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," said the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam said the tutor must be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he notes.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not automatically create the goal they want.
"I never had such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
