"A household residing in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced tutor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it aims to hire a teacher for a one-year-old.
Numerous of applications have now been received since the anonymous family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the media, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".
But what does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "all-encompassing", he answered. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent history to repeat itself with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the CEO.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to instil.
Adam said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.
Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child adopt so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "The parents know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the tutoring industry who share those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
The expert noted that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living both cultures. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
