"Parents located in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it might be the crucial aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite early skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they did not want history to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire 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, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with anyway?
"Yes", said Adam. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go 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 those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the reality that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating