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"A family based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and skilled instructor to guide their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."

Upon seeing this post, you might easily skip the phrase "beginning" as simple figurative language.

But, it might be the most significant element of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have already been sent in since the unnamed family posted their search for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".

In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted notice across the media, with numerous questioning why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that despite early doubt, he found the plan "far sighted", and "progressive".

When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the unconventional character of their request, and how young their son is.

Nevertheless, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had by then set in".

But what does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "everything", Adam responded. "The manner you eat, the manner you speak".

He stated the elder child had picked up "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family told the consultant they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.

The intention: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.

Natural Absorption

"A lot of the education at the outset here is somewhat acquired indirectly," stated the CEO.

It's by means of this subtle influence that the family are aiming the child will acquire the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.

He explained the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he commented.

Money No Object

The family told Adam the chosen tutor should preferably also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, creative fields and musical activities so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

More than that though, he stated the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and learning an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's minds, assisting their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to accomplishment and create opportunities.

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

Yet, notwithstanding all this guidance in "UK identity", would the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with in any case?

"Absolutely", replied he. "They realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we should start as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the tutoring industry who have these doubts.

Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, commented that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."

Peter wrote that he had emigrated from the Far East to the Britain at the period of 7 years old, and had been raised knowing and living two backgrounds. He continued to learn at Cambridge University.

"The notion that an individual can act as a living vessel of Britishness, someone who can in some way transplant the qualities of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unrealistic," he stated.

"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will does not instantly produce the outcome they hope for.

"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live several of the situations they aspire for their son."

He continued: "The reality is, self-identity should not be forced from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."

Purchasing UK Culture

Certainly, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be instructed – and sold.

"In my view the reality that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating