"A family based in the northern part of London is looking for an extraordinary and skilled educator to assist their most junior child on his early path to turning into an English gentleman."
Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it might be the crucial element of this unique position posting, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of applications have already been submitted since the anonymous family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the post has gained notice in the news, with several wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, explained that despite initial scepticism, he considered the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already set in".
But what did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.
The plan: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"A lot of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," said Adam.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.
Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.
Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's minds, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They know this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the education sector who share these concerns.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
He noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and embodying both cultures. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.
"The concept that an individual can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically produce the result they want.
"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must come from within."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, English culture is something the expert hopes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
