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"A household located in North London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this listing, you might readily miss the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.

Yet, it might be the crucial element of this distinctive position posting, as it attempts to recruit a mentor for a infant.

Numerous of applications have since been received since the anonymous family published their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "a uniquely qualified person".

During the past few weeks, the listing has gained notice across the news, with several questioning why?

Innovative Idea

Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their hunt, stated that in spite of early doubt, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "progressive".

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

Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had waited until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural bias had by then taken hold".

But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?

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

He explained the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to recur with their new baby.

The strategy: To hire a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat absorbed naturally," said the CEO.

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

Adam explained the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The tutor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be doing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to shape the child in a diverse set of interests.

Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a selection of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's minds, helping their son grow into a "British gentleman" will lead to success and open doors.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he adds.

Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he lives with regardless?

"Yes", said Adam. "The parents know this may not work, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we should start as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

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

Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."

Peter wrote that he had moved from Asia to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up knowing and living dual heritages. He went on to be educated at the University of Cambridge.

"The notion that an individual can act as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can possibly impart the qualities of a English gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.

"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly create the goal they hope for.

"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."

He stated: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be dictated from the outside; it must be selected, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

Of course, English culture is something Adam thinks can be taught – and commercialized.

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