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"A family located in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced tutor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this post, you might easily skip the wording "beginning" as just an expression.

Yet, it might be the most significant part of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a 12-month-old.

Many of submissions have already been received since the anonymous family advertised their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted notice across the news, with many questioning why?

Innovative Idea

The CEO, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that despite initial doubt, he considered the plan "visionary", and "advanced".

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

However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".

What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?

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

He stated the firstborn had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their younger child.

The intention: To engage a English tutor, who needs to speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from the very start.

Osmotic Learning

"A great deal of the education at the beginning here is kind of acquired indirectly," said Adam.

It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will adopt the British traits they aim to impart.

The consultant noted the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The instructor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Cost Not Relevant

The family informed him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in horse riding, alpine skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-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 "British gentleman" will lead to accomplishment and open doors.

"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he notes.

But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "English culture", would the child pick up alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he is raised by in any case?

"Absolutely", answered the CEO. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he stated.

Overly Optimistic

There are some in the private teaching field who share these concerns.

Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, stated that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, discovering oneself, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."

The expert noted that he had relocated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of 7 years old, and had been brought up knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that one individual can serve as a representation of English culture, a person who can somehow impart the attributes of a UK sophisticate to a infant child, strikes me as idealistic and impractical," he commented.

"From my perspective, employing a typically English tutor from infancy will not instantly achieve the result they hope for.

"I wasn't provided with such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to enjoy numerous of the opportunities they hope for their son."

He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

Naturally, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and commercialized.

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