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"A household based in the northern part of London wants to find an remarkable and skilled tutor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."

Looking at this post, you might readily miss the wording "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.

Yet, it might be the most important element of this unique job advert, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.

Many of applications have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the press, with numerous wondering why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".

When he met the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their demand, and how young their son is.

Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already become established".

But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "comprehensive", Adam answered. "How you eat, the manner you speak".

He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family explained to Adam they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.

The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.

Natural Absorption

"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," said the expert.

It's via this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they want to impart.

The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes 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 become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.

"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he comments.

However, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", could the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with anyway?

"Certainly", replied Adam. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go 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 have similar reservations.

An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

He explained that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of UK identity, someone who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.

"Based on my background, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the outcome they want.

"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they desire for their son."

He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Naturally, English culture is something Adam believes can be educated – and marketed.

"In my view the fact that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating