"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of responses have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the press, with many asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.
But, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they did not want the same situation to recur with their infant.
The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," explained Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He explained the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – 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 carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Money No Object
The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he comments.
But, despite all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with anyway?
"Yes", answered Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
A number of in the education sector who express these doubts.
Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He went on to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, a person who can possibly transfer the qualities of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly British tutor from infancy will not automatically create the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience several of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Of course, English culture is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"I think the situation that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
