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"Parents located in North London seeks an extraordinary and qualified tutor to support their smallest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as just figurative language.

Yet, it may be the most important aspect of this unique job advert, as it aims to find a teacher for a infant.

Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the unidentified family published their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the post has attracted interest throughout the media, with numerous questioning why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is supporting the family in their quest, explained that despite early skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "advanced".

When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.

But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already set in".

What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural bias"?

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

He said the older sibling had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their new baby.

The intention: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby right from the beginning.

Natural Absorption

"Much of the education at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," 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 instil.

He noted the tutor must be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Cost Not Relevant

The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.

Furthermore though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a range of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and starting an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "UK sophisticate" will lead to success and open doors.

"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.

Yet, despite all this tutelage in "Britishness", would the child absorb what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with in any case?

"Yes", answered he. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as quickly as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he stated.

Impractical

There are some in the private teaching field who express these doubts.

Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides individual instructors, stated that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."

Peter noted that he had moved from China to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing two backgrounds. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.

"The idea that one individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, an individual who can somehow impart the attributes of a English gentleman to a 12-month-old child, seems to me naive and impractical," he stated.

"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from infancy will will not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and yet I have been privileged enough to live several of the situations they hope for their son."

He stated: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be dictated 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 instructed – and sold.

"In my view the situation that the international society regards us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating