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"A household located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.

However, it could be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Many of responses have now been sent in since the anonymous family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the post has received interest across the press, with several questioning why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early scepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.

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

What exactly did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?

It's "all-encompassing", he responded. "How you eat, the manner you speak".

He said the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want history to recur with their infant.

The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"A lot of the education at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," stated Adam.

It's by means of this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they want to instil.

Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a wide range of hobbies.

Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about accomplishment and provide access.

"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he comments.

Yet, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?

"Absolutely", said he. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.

Overly Optimistic

There are some in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.

Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."

He wrote that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been raised understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The idea that one individual can function as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the attributes of a English gentleman onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.

"In my experience, having a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the goal they hope for.

"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."

He stated: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be dictated from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."

Purchasing UK Culture

Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.

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