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"Parents residing in north London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."

Looking at this advertisement, you might readily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just figurative language.

However, it could be the most important aspect of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a teacher for a one-year-old.

Many of submissions have already been received since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180,000 per year tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest throughout the news, with several wondering why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of initial doubt, he considered the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".

When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unusual character of their requirement, and how immature their son is.

Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then set in".

But what did the family indicate by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "all-encompassing", Adam answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".

He said the older sibling had absorbed "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural ways. The family explained to the consultant they did not want this pattern to happen again with their new baby.

The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby from the very start.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the development at the start here is kind of acquired indirectly," stated Adam.

It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.

Adam said the tutor must be an individual who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he said.

Money No Object

The family explained to Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in accomplishment and open doors.

"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a status symbol," he notes.

Yet, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?

"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The family know this may not work, but they've just taken the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the education sector who share those doubts.

Peter Cui, head and founder of an educational organization, who supplies individual instructors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."

He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the United Kingdom at the time of seven, and had been educated knowing and living both cultures. He continued to learn at the University of Cambridge.

"The concept that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transplant the characteristics of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he wrote.

"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from early childhood will does not automatically create the result they desire.

"I did not have such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."

He added: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

Naturally, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and sold.

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