"A family residing in North London wants to find an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.
However, it could be the most important part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have since been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".
During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest throughout the news, with numerous wondering why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".
When he met the family, he mentioned they understood the unusual character of their demand, and how young their son is.
But, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
What precisely does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.
The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained Adam.
It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to impart.
He noted the tutor must be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of lessons 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, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", might the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?
"Yes", replied he. "The family realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Impractical
A number of in the tutoring industry who express those doubts.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
The expert noted that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and living dual heritages. He continued to study at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the goal they want.
"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the opportunities they hope for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, Britishness is something Adam believes can be taught – and marketed.
"I think the reality that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
