"A family based in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced instructor to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have already been received since the anonymous family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the media, with numerous questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that in spite of first skepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he replied. "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 assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The plan: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire 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 added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who share these doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
He wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The idea that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will not necessarily produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
