"A household residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it might be the crucial aspect of this unusual job advert, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have now been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first doubt, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".
But what does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the elder child had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they did not want history to happen again with their infant.
The strategy: To hire a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to instil.
He explained the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "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 performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.
But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share similar concerns.
An education leader, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
The expert wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of seven, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly produce the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
