"A household based in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as just an expression.
But, it could be the most significant element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the unidentified family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has received interest across the media, with several asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of initial skepticism, he viewed the idea "visionary", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they recognized the unconventional character of their request, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".
What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He stated the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the learning at the start here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the expert.
It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.
He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
More than that though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.
But, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Certainly", said Adam. "They understand this could fail, 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 expense of it is irrelevant," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who have these concerns.
An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The idea that an individual can function as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"Based on my background, having a typically UK tutor from babyhood will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live many of the situations they hope for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
