"A household located in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have now been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding initial skepticism, he viewed the concept "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," said the expert.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to impart.
He noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally 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 around three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
But, despite all this guidance in "English culture", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who have those reservations.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up understanding and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can act as a representation of UK identity, someone who can in some way transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly UK tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the expert thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the international society regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
