"A family located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily skip the wording "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it might be the most important element of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted interest throughout the media, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that in spite of initial doubt, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to him they did not want history to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who share those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can in some way transplant the attributes of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the result they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
