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"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."

Looking at this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.

Yet, it may be the most important aspect of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have now been received since the unidentified family published their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the advert has received notice throughout the media, with numerous questioning why?

Progressive Approach

The CEO, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.

Nevertheless, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had already become established".

But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "comprehensive", he answered. "How you eat, how you speak".

He explained the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their younger child.

The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.

Osmotic Learning

"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of osmotic," explained the CEO.

It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they wish to cultivate.

The consultant noted the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he added.

Money No Object

The family explained to the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.

More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.

"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.

However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child adopt so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?

"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective 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.

Overly Optimistic

Several in the private teaching field who express these reservations.

Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."

Peter noted that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, an individual who can possibly transfer the attributes of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.

"From my perspective, having a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not automatically create the outcome they want.

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

He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."

Purchasing UK Culture

Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be instructed – and sold.

"In my view the situation that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating