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"A family residing in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and skilled educator to assist their most junior child on his early path to becoming an British gentleman."

When reading this listing, you might easily miss the term "first-steps" as mere a turn of phrase.

However, it might be the crucial aspect of this distinctive position posting, as it aims to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.

Numerous of responses have already been submitted since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest throughout the media, with many questioning why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that in spite of first skepticism, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he said they appreciated the unconventional nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.

But, they explained that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already become established".

What exactly does the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?

It's "comprehensive", he answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".

He explained the elder child had absorbed "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family informed Adam they did not want this pattern to happen again with their infant.

The strategy: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby right from the beginning.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the development at the outset here is rather acquired indirectly," said the expert.

It's via this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.

The consultant explained the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told him the chosen tutor should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

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

In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and open doors.

"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.

Yet, notwithstanding all this instruction in "English culture", could the child absorb so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?

"Absolutely", said the CEO. "They know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.

Overly Optimistic

Several in the private teaching field who have these concerns.

An education leader, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be lived into, not designed."

The expert noted that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of seven, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at Cambridge University.

"The concept that one individual can act as a representation of Britishness, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.

"Based on my background, employing a distinctly English tutor from infancy will not instantly produce the goal they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."

He continued: "The reality is, personal identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."

Buying Britishness

Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and commercialized.

"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating