"A family based in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
However, it may be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they understood the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the development at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.
He said the tutor needed to be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the international family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can act as a representation of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, having a typically UK tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily produce the result they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
