"A family residing in north London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to guide their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this listing, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it could be the most important aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have now been received since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained attention in the media, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional nature of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to instil.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the private teaching field who share similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been educated understanding and living both cultures. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a representation of Britishness, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically English tutor from infancy will does not automatically create the goal they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
