"Parents residing in North London wants to find an remarkable and qualified instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally miss the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the press, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite early doubt, he found the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," explained Adam.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they wish to instil.
Adam noted the tutor must be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", said Adam. "They know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have these reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been raised knowing and living dual heritages. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the attributes of a British gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
