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"Parents residing in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and skilled instructor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally miss the term "first-steps" as just figurative language.

But, it might be the most important element of this unique position posting, as it aims to find a teacher for a infant.

Many of applications have now been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

During the past few weeks, the post has gained notice across the press, with several questioning why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, chief executive of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of early doubt, he found the plan "visionary", and "innovative".

When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.

But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had already taken hold".

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

It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The way you eat, the way you speak".

He explained the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their infant.

The intention: To engage a English tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby right from the beginning.

Subtle Influence

"A great deal of the learning at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.

It's via this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will pick up the British traits they wish to cultivate.

The consultant explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family explained to him the selected educator should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a diverse set of passions.

Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.

"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he comments.

Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "English culture", could the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?

"Absolutely", answered Adam. "The parents understand this could fail, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the tutoring industry who have those concerns.

Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."

The expert wrote that he had moved from Asia to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.

"The concept that an individual can serve as a embodiment of UK identity, an individual who can somehow transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a one-year-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he wrote.

"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the result they hope for.

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

He added: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Certainly, UK identity is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.

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