"Parents residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to assist their most junior child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
However, it could be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Hundreds of responses have now been submitted since the unnamed family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained interest across the news, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their search, said that notwithstanding initial scepticism, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to him they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they want to cultivate.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Cost Not Relevant
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he said the family desired the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", said he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.
Overly Optimistic
Several in the education sector who share those reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the time of seven, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that an individual can act as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.
"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should 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 Adam believes can be instructed – and marketed.
"In my view the reality that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
