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"Parents based in north London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to support their smallest child on his first steps to becoming an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.

But, it could be the crucial aspect of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a teacher for a 12-month-old.

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

Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest across the news, with several questioning why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.

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

What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?

It's "all-encompassing", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".

He explained the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent this pattern to recur with their infant.

The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.

Osmotic Learning

"Much of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," stated Adam.

It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the British traits they wish to instil.

Adam said the tutor needed to be an individual who studied at "the right kinds of schools – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a range of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's minds, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will bring about success and create opportunities.

"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he notes.

However, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?

"Yes", replied the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

Several in the education sector who express similar doubts.

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of an educational organization, who also offer individual instructors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."

Peter wrote that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he commented.

"Based on my background, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the outcome they want.

"I did not have such a tutor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the situations they desire for their son."

He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."

Acquiring Englishness

Naturally, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be educated – and sold.

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