"A family based in north London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled tutor to assist their smallest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it might be the crucial element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have since been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted attention throughout the news, with several asking why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that notwithstanding first skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the development at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who express those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been raised experiencing and embodying dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
