"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily overlook the wording "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the news, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first doubt, he found the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be educated – and sold.
"I think the fact that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
