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"Parents based in North London wants to find an extraordinary and qualified instructor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.

Yet, it may be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Numerous of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".

In recent few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the media, with several questioning why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, said that despite early scepticism, he found the plan "visionary", and "progressive".

When he spoke with the family, he noted they understood the atypical aspect of their request, and how early in age their son is.

Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then become established".

What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "everything", he replied. "How you eat, the way you speak".

He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their infant.

The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"A great deal of the education at the start here is somewhat osmotic," stated Adam.

It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they wish to impart.

He noted the tutor needed to be someone who went to "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.

Expense Not a Factor

The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a wide range of passions.

Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes 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 view, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and create opportunities.

"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's certainly a class statement," he adds.

Yet, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?

"Yes", answered he. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.

Overly Optimistic

There are some in the private teaching field who share these reservations.

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."

He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the period of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and practicing both cultures. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.

"The notion that a single person can act as a embodiment of UK identity, someone who can possibly impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears optimistic and impractical," he stated.

"From my perspective, having a typically UK tutor from infancy will does not necessarily produce the result they want.

"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to live several of the opportunities they desire for their son."

He added: "The truth is, personal identity cannot be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Acquiring Englishness

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

"In my view the situation that the world views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating