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"A household based in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified instructor to assist their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."

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

Yet, it may be the most significant part of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.

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

During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention in the media, with several wondering why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that despite early skepticism, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "innovative".

When he spoke with the family, he said they appreciated the atypical aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.

However, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then set in".

What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural bias"?

It's "everything", Adam replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".

He explained the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.

The plan: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.

Natural Absorption

"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.

It's through this subtle influence that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to impart.

He explained the tutor needed to be an individual who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he said.

Cost Not Relevant

The family told the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol 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 perspective, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and provide access.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a class statement," he adds.

However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", could the child adopt so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?

"Certainly", answered the CEO. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.

Impractical

A number of in the tutoring industry who share these concerns.

Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."

The expert wrote that he had relocated from China to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up understanding and living both cultures. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.

"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can possibly transplant the qualities of a English gentleman upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as naive and unfeasible," he wrote.

"From my perspective, engaging a typically UK tutor from early childhood will will not automatically create the goal they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the situations they aspire for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Acquiring Englishness

Naturally, UK identity is something the expert believes can be taught – and commercialized.

"I believe the fact that the international society views us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating