"Parents based in the northern part of London wants to find an extraordinary and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally miss the wording "first-steps" as simple an expression.
Yet, it might be the most significant aspect of this unique job advert, as it seeks to find a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the press, with many questioning why?
Progressive Approach
Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first doubt, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unconventional character of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the learning at the outset here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they want to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told him the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", replied Adam. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the private teaching field who have similar reservations.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."
The expert wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and living dual heritages. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, employing a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not necessarily create the goal they want.
"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Certainly, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the fact that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
