"A family based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant part of this unique position posting, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Hundreds of responses have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the advert has gained attention throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they did not want history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the education at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they aim to impart.
He said the tutor must be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and open doors.
"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The family know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who express those reservations.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had moved from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been raised knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that one individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they hope for.
"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, UK identity is something the expert believes can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the fact that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
