"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."
When reading this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
But, it could be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice in the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their demand, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told him they hoped to prevent this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.
Natural Absorption
"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.
It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to instil.
The consultant said the tutor must be someone who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with anyway?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
There are some in the education sector who share these concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been brought up understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the goal they desire.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He continued: "The fact is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam believes can be taught – and commercialized.
"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
