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"Parents located in the northern part of London wants to find an exceptional and experienced tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might easily miss the term "initial stages" as just a turn of phrase.

But, it may be the crucial aspect of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have since been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the listing has gained attention across the news, with many asking why?

Progressive Approach

The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their search, explained that in spite of first scepticism, he found the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual nature of their requirement, and how immature their son is.

Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".

But what does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?

It's "everything", Adam answered. "The way you eat, the manner you speak".

He said the elder child had adopted "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their new baby.

The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from the very start.

Osmotic Learning

"Much of the learning at the outset here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.

It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to impart.

Adam said the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.

Furthermore though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and provide access.

"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.

But, in spite of all this tutelage in "Britishness", might the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?

"Certainly", answered he. "The family understand this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he said.

Impractical

There are some in the private teaching field who express similar doubts.

Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."

Peter noted that he had relocated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing dual heritages. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that a single person can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman upon a infant child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.

"Based on my background, employing a distinctly UK tutor from babyhood will not instantly achieve the result they hope for.

"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be selected, and it must be internally driven."

Buying Britishness

Of course, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and commercialized.

"In my view the reality that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating