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"A family located in North London seeks an extraordinary and experienced instructor to support their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "beginning" as just a turn of phrase.

However, it could be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.

Hundreds of applications have already been sent in since the anonymous family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

Over the last few weeks, the listing has attracted interest throughout the news, with several wondering why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is helping the family in their quest, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "progressive".

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

But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then become established".

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

It's "comprehensive", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, how you speak".

He said the older sibling had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.

The plan: To engage a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from the very start.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated Adam.

It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the UK customs they wish to cultivate.

The consultant explained the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Cost Not Relevant

The family informed Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.

Additionally though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to register the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's minds, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will bring about success and provide access.

"Taking into account the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he comments.

However, notwithstanding all this instruction in "UK identity", might the child pick up what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he lives with in any case?

"Yes", replied he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he explained.

Impractical

There are some in the education sector who share these concerns.

Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."

Peter noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and embodying both cultures. He went on to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, a person who can in some way transplant the attributes of a British gentleman to a 12-month-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.

"Based on my background, having a quintessentially British tutor from infancy will not necessarily create the goal they want.

"I did not have that kind of mentor, and however I have been lucky enough to enjoy several of the situations they desire for their son."

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

Acquiring Englishness

Of course, Britishness is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.

"In my view the fact that the international society views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating