"A family located in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally miss the wording "first-steps" as mere an expression.
But, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have since been received since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
However, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", said Adam. "The family know this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
