"Parents based in north London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
However, it may be the most important aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice in the press, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "progressive".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.
It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
Adam said the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family informed the expert the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have similar doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can act as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically produce the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"I think the fact that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
