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"A household located in North London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally overlook the term "first-steps" as mere an expression.

But, it could be the most important part of this unique position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of applications have now been received since the anonymous family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

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

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding early skepticism, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".

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

Nevertheless, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".

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

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

He said the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family explained to him they did not want history to recur with their younger child.

The plan: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to guide the baby from the very start.

Natural Absorption

"A lot of the development at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," explained the CEO.

It's by means of this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to instil.

Adam explained the tutor had to be somebody who went to "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The tutor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.

Additionally though, he stated the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's minds, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he comments.

However, in spite of all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?

"Certainly", said Adam. "The family understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'let's give it a go and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

Several in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.

An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who also offer private tutors, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not designed."

Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and living both cultures. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.

"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of Britishness, someone who can somehow impart the qualities of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.

"From my perspective, having a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will will not automatically produce the outcome they want.

"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live numerous of the opportunities they aspire for their son."

He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."

Buying Britishness

Of course, Britishness is something Adam thinks can be instructed – and marketed.

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