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"A household located in North London is looking for an remarkable and skilled instructor to assist their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."

Looking at this advertisement, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.

Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a tutor for a one-year-old.

Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted notice in the news, with numerous wondering why?

Progressive Approach

The CEO, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding first scepticism, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "advanced".

When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.

However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".

What exactly does the family mean by "cultural leaning"?

It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".

He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to him they wished to avoid this pattern to happen again with their infant.

The intention: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," stated the expert.

It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the English characteristics they want to instil.

The consultant explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Money No Object

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

More than that though, he said the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will bring about success and open doors.

"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.

Yet, despite all this instruction in "English culture", would the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he resides with anyway?

"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

Several in the private teaching field who share these concerns.

An education leader, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."

Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.

"The notion that one individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.

"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the goal they want.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."

He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

Naturally, UK identity is something Adam believes can be instructed – and sold.

"I think the reality that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating