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

When reading this listing, you might easily miss the phrase "initial stages" as simple an expression.

But, it might be the crucial part of this unusual position posting, as it seeks to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Many of applications have since been received since the anonymous family advertised their call for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".

Over the last few weeks, the post has received interest across the press, with several wondering why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, CEO and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their search, said that in spite of initial scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".

When he consulted the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their requirement, and how early in age their son is.

But, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".

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

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

He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family told Adam they did not want history to happen again with their infant.

The plan: To bring in a British tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.

Osmotic Learning

"A lot of the learning at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," said the expert.

It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the British traits they want to cultivate.

The consultant said the tutor needed to be an individual who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The instructor simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in riding, winter sports, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.

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

In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will bring about success and provide access.

"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.

Yet, despite all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child absorb alleged cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?

"Yes", replied the CEO. "The family realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and let's go as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

A number of in the education sector who have these concerns.

An education leader, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, stated that "the process of embracing two identities, or actually, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."

The expert noted that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the period of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to be educated at the University of Cambridge.

"The concept that one individual can act as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, strikes me as idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.

"Based on my background, having a quintessentially English tutor from babyhood will not necessarily create the outcome they want.

"I did not have that kind of mentor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live many of the situations they aspire for their son."

He added: "The reality is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Acquiring Englishness

Naturally, English culture is something the CEO believes can be educated – and commercialized.

"I think the fact that the global community regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating