"A household located in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their youngest child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might naturally miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the most important aspect of this unique position posting, as it attempts to find a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of submissions have now been sent in since the unidentified family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has attracted notice in the press, with several questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, said that despite first scepticism, he found the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already taken hold".
What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He explained the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their infant.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"Much of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," stated the expert.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they wish to instil.
The consultant explained the tutor must be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.
More than that 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 musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.
But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he lives with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the private teaching field who have these doubts.
Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised experiencing and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The notion that one individual can function as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can somehow transplant the attributes of a English gentleman upon a infant child, appears idealistic and impractical," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will will not automatically create the goal they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
