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"Parents based in north London seeks an exceptional and skilled instructor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might naturally overlook the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.

Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have now been received since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the post has gained attention across the news, with numerous questioning why?

Innovative Idea

A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their quest, said that in spite of first scepticism, he considered the concept "far sighted", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their requirement, and how young their son is.

But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already set in".

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

It's "all-encompassing", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".

He stated the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they did not want this pattern to recur with their younger child.

The strategy: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.

Subtle Influence

"Much of the development at the outset here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.

It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they aim to instil.

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

"The tutor simply needs to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

Furthermore though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.

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

But, notwithstanding all this instruction in "Britishness", would the child absorb so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by regardless?

"Yes", said he. "They realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not a concern," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

A number of in the private teaching field who share these doubts.

An education leader, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides individual instructors, wrote that "the development of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."

The expert wrote that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.

"The concept that one individual can function as a embodiment of Britishness, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a English gentleman onto a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he commented.

"In my experience, engaging a quintessentially UK tutor from babyhood will does not necessarily produce the outcome they desire.

"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to live many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."

He added: "The truth is, self-identity should not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Acquiring Englishness

Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.

"In my view the situation that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating