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"A household located in North London is looking for an extraordinary and qualified educator to support their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily miss the term "initial stages" as simple an expression.

But, it could be the most important element of this distinctive job advert, as it seeks to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Numerous of responses have since been submitted since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".

During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice throughout the media, with several wondering why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their search, explained that notwithstanding first doubt, he viewed the plan "visionary", and "advanced".

When he met the family, he said they recognized the atypical character of their demand, and how immature their son is.

Nevertheless, they explained that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural bias had already taken hold".

But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

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

He said the firstborn had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told him they did not want the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.

The intention: To bring in a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"A lot of the development at the outset here is rather absorbed naturally," explained Adam.

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

He said the tutor must be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – similar types 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 aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he said.

Cost Not Relevant

The family informed the expert the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire 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 lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's minds, helping their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and create opportunities.

"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.

But, despite all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child absorb what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?

"Certainly", said the CEO. "They know this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he said.

Impractical

There are some in the education sector who have those concerns.

An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the development of becoming bicultural, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."

The expert noted that he had emigrated from China to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.

"The concept that a single person can function as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he stated.

"From my perspective, employing a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will will not necessarily create the result they want.

"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and however I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of the situations they desire for their son."

He continued: "The fact is, self-identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

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

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