"Parents residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it may be the most significant part of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a 12-month-old.
Numerous of responses have now been received since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has received notice throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional nature of their request, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they did not want this pattern to happen again with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to instil.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Furthermore though, he said the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", might the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "The family realize this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
The expert explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he wrote.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from infancy will does not necessarily produce the goal they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience numerous of the experiences they hope for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something Adam believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the situation that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
