"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have now been received since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest in the media, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they appreciated the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"A great deal of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Certainly", said he. "The parents know this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of an educational organization, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, a person who can somehow transfer the qualities of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears naive and unfeasible," he commented.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Naturally, Britishness is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the international society holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
