"A family located in North London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have since been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the listing has gained interest in the press, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite first skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the unusual nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
But what did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said the CEO.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", said he. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily produce the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.
"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
