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"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and qualified instructor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."

Looking at this listing, you might readily miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.

However, it may be the crucial element of this unusual job advert, as it aims to recruit a mentor for a infant.

Hundreds of applications have now been submitted since the unidentified family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".

Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the press, with many wondering why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding early skepticism, he considered the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".

When he consulted the family, he said they recognized the unconventional nature of their request, and how early in age their son is.

Nevertheless, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".

What precisely does the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "everything", the expert answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".

He stated the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their younger child.

The plan: To bring in a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.

Subtle Influence

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

It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they want to instil.

The consultant noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

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

Money No Object

The family explained to him the selected educator should ideally also have understanding of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.

More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.

"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he notes.

Yet, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the international family he resides with anyway?

"Certainly", answered Adam. "They understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the education sector who express these reservations.

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the development of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."

Peter noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised experiencing and living dual heritages. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.

"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a English gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.

"Based on my background, engaging a typically British tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the result they want.

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

He added: "The truth is, self-identity cannot be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

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

"I believe the fact that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating