"Parents residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.
Yet, it might be the most significant part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have since been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the news, with several questioning why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that despite first doubt, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he responded. "How you eat, how you speak".
He explained the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to him they did not want history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," said Adam.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to instil.
Adam said the tutor must be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express these reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been educated knowing and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can act as a representation of Britishness, someone who can possibly transfer the attributes of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly achieve the result they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
