"Parents located in North London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Looking at this post, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.
But, it could be the most significant aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have since been submitted since the anonymous family posted their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".
In recent few weeks, the advert has attracted attention across the news, with several asking why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, explained that in spite of initial scepticism, he found the concept "far sighted", and "innovative".
When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unusual character of their requirement, and how young their son is.
But, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".
What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they did not want this pattern to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.
Subtle Influence
"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," said the expert.
It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant noted the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The instructor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.
Cost Not Relevant
The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.
Furthermore though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.
"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.
However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with regardless?
"Absolutely", replied Adam. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.
Impractical
There are some in the education sector who express those doubts.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the development of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."
Peter explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.
"The concept that an individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not automatically achieve the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, UK identity is something the expert hopes can be educated – and sold.
"I believe the situation that the world holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
