"Parents located in north London seeks an extraordinary and skilled tutor to guide their most junior child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most important part of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the media, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
However, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The plan: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", said Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who have similar concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
He wrote that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing both cultures. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can act as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will not instantly achieve the goal they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the global community regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
