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"A family located in north London wants to find an remarkable and experienced tutor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."

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

But, it may be the most significant part of this distinctive position posting, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have since been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "someone very special".

Over the last few weeks, the listing has received attention throughout the press, with many asking why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite early doubt, he found the concept "forward-looking", and "advanced".

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

But, they clarified that they "didn't want to wait 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".

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

It's "comprehensive", he responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".

He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their new baby.

The intention: To engage a English tutor, who should speak with RP, to shape the baby from the very start.

Natural Absorption

"A lot of the learning at the start here is somewhat osmotic," stated the CEO.

It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they wish to impart.

He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor just has to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.

Expense Not a Factor

The family informed Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, creative fields and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.

More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are approximately three years old".

In the family's view, assisting their son become a "English gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.

"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.

However, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the international family he resides with regardless?

"Absolutely", said Adam. "The family realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he said.

Impractical

Several in the education sector who express these reservations.

Peter Cui, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."

He explained that he had relocated from the Far East to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and living two backgrounds. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The idea that one individual can serve as a living vessel of UK identity, an individual who can in some way impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a one-year-old child, appears optimistic and unrealistic," he commented.

"Based on my background, employing a typically British tutor from infancy will will not necessarily create the goal they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience several of the experiences they hope for their son."

He added: "The fact is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."

Acquiring Englishness

Of course, English culture is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.

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