"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a UK 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 start here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
Adam explained the tutor must be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", said the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow transplant the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"From my perspective, having a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
