"A household based in North London seeks an remarkable and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as just figurative language.
But, it could be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it aims to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.
Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the press, with numerous questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, explained that despite first doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they understood the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the expert.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they wish to impart.
Adam explained the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
But, despite all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who express those concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can somehow transplant the attributes of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and marketed.
"I think the situation that the global community regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
