"Parents based in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified instructor to support their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most significant element of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received notice across the news, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first doubt, he found the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual character 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 held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said the CEO. "They realize this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
Several in the tutoring industry who share these reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He noted that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily achieve the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
