"A household located in North London is looking for an remarkable and skilled instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a infant.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained attention across the media, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that in spite of early skepticism, he found the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their infant.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," said Adam.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they want to impart.
The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child pick up what is termed cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said he. "The family understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Impractical
A number of in the education sector who have those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
The expert explained that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will not necessarily produce the goal they desire.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the global community holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
