"A family based in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
However, it could be the crucial aspect of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the media, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that in spite of early doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the atypical nature of their request, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already set in".
What exactly did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who share these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up experiencing and living dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily create the goal they hope for.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something Adam believes can be educated – and sold.
"I think the reality that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
