"A household based in North London seeks an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his early path to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
Yet, it may be the crucial aspect of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have since been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest throughout the press, with many wondering why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unconventional aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had by then become established".
What exactly did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the older sibling had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated the expert.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to impart.
He noted the tutor had to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family informed him the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The family know this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who express those doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated experiencing and living both cultures. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transplant the qualities of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will does not instantly create the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the situations they desire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
