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"A household based in North London seeks an exceptional and qualified educator to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."

When reading this listing, you might readily skip the term "first-steps" as just an expression.

However, it might be the most important part of this unique employment listing, as it aims to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.

Hundreds of responses have since been sent in since the unidentified family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".

During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted interest in the media, with many asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their search, stated that despite first skepticism, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "advanced".

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

But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already become established".

But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?

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

He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.

The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.

Natural Absorption

"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather acquired indirectly," said the CEO.

It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the UK customs they wish to cultivate.

Adam explained the tutor had to be someone who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds 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 doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.

Cost Not Relevant

The family informed the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a diverse set of passions.

Additionally though, he said the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and open doors.

"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.

However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?

"Certainly", said the CEO. "They know this could fail, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.

Impractical

A number of in the tutoring industry who share similar reservations.

An education leader, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."

Peter explained that he had emigrated from China to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.

"The notion that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can somehow transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a 12-month-old child, seems to me optimistic and unrealistic," he stated.

"Based on my background, employing a typically UK tutor from early childhood will does not instantly create the goal they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been privileged enough to experience numerous of the opportunities they desire for their son."

He continued: "The reality is, personal identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.

"In my view the reality that the international society holds us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating