"Parents residing in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained attention throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite first scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent history to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told the expert the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", answered he. "The parents know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up understanding and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, engaging a typically English tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
