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"A family located in north London is looking for an remarkable and experienced educator to guide their smallest child on his early path to growing into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.

But, it could be the most important part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.

Many of applications have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the advert has attracted interest across the media, with several asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he viewed the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".

When he met the family, he said they recognized the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.

However, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then set in".

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

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

He explained the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent history to recur with their new baby.

The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from the very start.

Subtle Influence

"Much of the education at the start here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.

It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will acquire the British traits they want to instil.

The consultant explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.

Furthermore though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will result in success and provide access.

"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.

Yet, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he lives with anyway?

"Yes", said Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've just taken the view of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he said.

Overly Optimistic

There are some in the tutoring industry who have those reservations.

Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

The expert wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been brought up understanding and embodying dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he wrote.

"From my perspective, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will will not instantly create the goal they want.

"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to live several of the situations they desire for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Acquiring Englishness

Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be instructed – and sold.

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