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"A family based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally skip the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.

But, it might be the most significant part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a teacher for a one-year-old.

Hundreds of applications have already been submitted since the unidentified family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the advert has received interest across the media, with numerous wondering why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that despite initial scepticism, he viewed the idea "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional character of their demand, and how immature their son is.

Nevertheless, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already set in".

What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?

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

He stated the firstborn had absorbed "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family told Adam they did not want the same situation to recur with their new baby.

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

Natural Absorption

"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the expert.

It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will acquire the UK customs they want to impart.

Adam noted the tutor must be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.

Cost Not Relevant

The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.

Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's view, helping their son become a "British gentleman" will result in success and open doors.

"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.

However, in spite of all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?

"Yes", answered the CEO. "They understand this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.

Overly Optimistic

A number of in the education sector who share similar doubts.

Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

He noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been brought up experiencing and living both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The concept that an individual can act as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can possibly impart the characteristics of a UK sophisticate to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.

"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically achieve the result they hope for.

"I never had that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to live numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."

He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Acquiring Englishness

Of course, UK identity is something the CEO thinks can be taught – and marketed.

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