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"A family based in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their most junior child on his early path to turning into an British gentleman."

When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the term "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.

But, it may be the most important element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a infant.

Hundreds of applications have now been received since the unnamed family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".

In recent few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the press, with numerous wondering why?

Innovative Idea

The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of first doubt, he considered the concept "visionary", and "innovative".

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

However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".

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

It's "everything", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, how you speak".

He stated the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to the consultant they hoped to prevent history to happen again with their infant.

The strategy: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.

Natural Absorption

"A great deal of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," said the CEO.

It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they wish to impart.

The consultant noted the tutor must be someone who went to "the right kinds of schools – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.

Money No Object

The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in riding, skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.

Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and create opportunities.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.

But, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by anyway?

"Yes", said he. "They understand this could fail, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he stated.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

Several in the education sector who express similar doubts.

Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."

Peter noted that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.

"The idea that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.

"In my experience, employing a typically British tutor from early childhood will does not automatically achieve the outcome they desire.

"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."

He added: "The reality is, personal identity can not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Acquiring Englishness

Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and commercialized.

"I think the reality that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating