"Parents based in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it may be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has gained interest throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then set in".
What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told him they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", replied he. "They know this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who share similar reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not automatically create the result they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
