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"A household located in north London wants to find an extraordinary and skilled educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."

Looking at this post, you might naturally miss the wording "initial stages" as just an expression.

But, it could be the crucial part of this unique job advert, as it attempts to hire a tutor for a one-year-old.

Many of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "an exceptional individual".

During the past few weeks, the post has gained interest across the press, with many questioning why?

Forward-Thinking Method

The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first skepticism, he considered the concept "visionary", and "advanced".

When he consulted the family, he noted they appreciated the atypical nature of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.

However, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already become established".

What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "all-encompassing", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".

He said the firstborn had absorbed "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family informed Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to happen again with their younger child.

The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to guide the baby from day one.

Subtle Influence

"A great deal of the education at the start here is kind of osmotic," stated the CEO.

It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.

Adam noted the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The educator must be the right kind of person, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, simply by nature," he added.

Cost Not Relevant

The family explained to the expert the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, the arts and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.

More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of classes so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's perspective, guiding their son become a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and create opportunities.

"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he comments.

However, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural influence from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?

"Certainly", replied Adam. "The parents realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the expense of it is not relevant," he said.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

There are some in the private teaching field who have those doubts.

Another CEO, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."

Peter noted that he had moved from China to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been educated knowing and practicing two backgrounds. He continued to be educated at a prestigious UK institution.

"The concept that a single person can serve as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the attributes of a British gentleman upon a 12-month-old child, strikes me as naive and unrealistic," he stated.

"From my perspective, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will not instantly achieve the goal they want.

"I never had such a figure, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the opportunities they hope for their son."

He continued: "The fact is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Buying Britishness

Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be educated – and marketed.

"I believe the situation that the world regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating