"A family residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the wording "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it may be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have now been submitted since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained interest across the media, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family explained to the consultant they did not want the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", said he. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the private teaching field who share these doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
He noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can in some way transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, having a quintessentially English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically achieve the outcome they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."
He continued: "The truth is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
