"A family located in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to guide their youngest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the phrase "first-steps" as mere an expression.
However, it may be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention throughout the press, with several wondering why?
Progressive Approach
The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding early doubt, he found the concept "visionary", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the atypical character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said Adam.
It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.
He explained the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he added.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or passion in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection 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 view, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will bring about achievement and create opportunities.
"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the international family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
A number of in the education sector who express these concerns.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not designed."
He noted that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of seven, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to study at Cambridge University.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transplant the qualities of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.
"From my perspective, engaging a typically English tutor from infancy will will not necessarily achieve the outcome they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."
He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."
Purchasing UK Culture
Certainly, English culture is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and sold.
"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
