"Parents located in north London wants to find an exceptional and skilled educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
However, it may be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained interest across the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they did not want this pattern to recur with their infant.
The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the beginning here is rather osmotic," stated the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar doubts.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying dual heritages. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that an individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
