"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as simple an expression.
However, it might be the most significant aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Many of submissions have already been submitted since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the press, with numerous asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that despite early scepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical nature of their requirement, and how young 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 firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to instil.
He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he comments.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who share similar concerns.
Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, having a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the result they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
