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"Parents residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and skilled tutor to support their youngest child on his first steps to turning into an English gentleman."

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

But, it may be the most important element of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to find a teacher for a 12-month-old.

Many of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their search for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

Over the last few weeks, the advert has gained attention across the news, with several questioning why?

Innovative Idea

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

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

But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already set in".

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

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

He said the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their infant.

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

Subtle Influence

"Much of the learning at the beginning here is rather osmotic," explained the CEO.

It's through this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the British traits they want to cultivate.

The consultant noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The tutor just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.

Cost Not Relevant

The family explained to the expert the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.

Additionally though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's perspective, assisting their son grow into a "English gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.

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

Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", might the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?

"Certainly", said the CEO. "The family understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

Several in the private teaching field who express these reservations.

Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, commented that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."

He wrote that he had moved from China to the UK at the time of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to learn at a prestigious UK institution.

"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.

"Based on my background, employing a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the outcome they hope for.

"I never had such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."

He added: "The fact is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

Certainly, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and sold.

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