"A household based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might naturally miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere figurative language.
Yet, it may be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, explained that despite initial scepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the older sibling had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the CEO.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
The consultant explained the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
However, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?
"Yes", answered he. "They understand this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
Another CEO, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of seven, and had been raised experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the result they desire.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
