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"A family residing in North London is looking for an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their youngest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."

When reading this listing, you might readily overlook the term "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.

However, it may be the most significant aspect of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their request for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the post has attracted attention across the media, with many asking why?

Forward-Thinking Method

Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their hunt, stated that despite first scepticism, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unusual aspect of their demand, and how immature their son is.

However, they explained 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 bias had by then set in".

What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

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

He explained the firstborn had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they wished to avoid history to happen again with their new baby.

The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to guide the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"Much of the development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained the expert.

It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to instil.

Adam explained the tutor had to be an individual who studied at "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The educator just has to be the right kind of person, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Expense Not a Factor

The family informed the expert the selected educator should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, skiing, creative fields and music so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.

Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's perspective, assisting their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about accomplishment and create opportunities.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.

Yet, despite all this tutelage in "English culture", would the child pick up so-called cultural influence from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?

"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents realize this could fail, but they've just taken the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the tutoring industry who express similar concerns.

An education leader, chief executive of an educational organization, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."

Peter wrote that he had relocated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.

"The idea that an individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, a person who can in some way transfer the attributes of a British gentleman upon a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he wrote.

"In my experience, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will does not instantly achieve the result they hope for.

"I did not have such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."

He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Acquiring Englishness

Naturally, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and sold.

"I believe the situation that the global community views us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating