"A family located in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily overlook the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the anonymous family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the news, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early scepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to him they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
He said the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents know this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He explained that he had moved from Asia to the UK at the time of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the result they hope for.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to experience many of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
