"Parents residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the most important aspect of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted notice in the media, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that despite initial skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their younger child.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.
He explained the tutor must be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by anyway?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have similar doubts.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that a single person can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, seems to me idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will not instantly create the result they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be educated – and commercialized.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
