"A household based in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and skilled instructor to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest in the news, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor had to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who share these reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
He wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying both cultures. He progressed to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The idea that a single person can function as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert hopes can be instructed – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
