"Parents based in North London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the phrase "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.
Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a tutor for a infant.
Many of responses have now been received since the anonymous family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".
Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the media, with many questioning why?
Forward-Thinking Method
The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding early doubt, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.
However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already become established".
What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He said the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid history to recur with their infant.
The intention: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the development at the beginning here is rather osmotic," said the expert.
It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.
Adam explained the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, the arts and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.
"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.
Yet, despite all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?
"Yes", said he. "They know this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the private teaching field who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
He explained that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can function as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.
"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to live several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be imposed from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Buying Britishness
Of course, English culture is something the CEO believes can be taught – and sold.
"In my view the situation that the world views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
