"A household residing in North London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled instructor to guide their smallest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it may be the crucial part of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of responses have since been received since the unnamed family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received interest across the media, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they aim to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a range 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 minds, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
But, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Certainly", answered he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who share those concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can in some way impart the characteristics of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I never had such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the reality that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
