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"A household residing in the northern part of London seeks an extraordinary and qualified instructor to support their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."

When reading this post, you might easily overlook the term "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.

Yet, it could be the crucial aspect of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a infant.

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

During the past few weeks, the listing has attracted notice throughout the news, with several wondering why?

Progressive Approach

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

When he met the family, he said they appreciated the unusual aspect of their requirement, and how young their son is.

But, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then set in".

But what did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?

It's "everything", he replied. "The way you eat, how you speak".

He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.

The intention: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from the very start.

Subtle Influence

"Much of the learning at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," said the CEO.

It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will acquire the UK customs they aim to instil.

He said 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 tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, just naturally," he added.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to inspire the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

More than that though, he explained the family wanted the tutor to sign up the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "British gentleman" will result in success and create opportunities.

"For all the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a class statement," he adds.

Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", might the child absorb so-called cultural influence from the multicultural family he resides with regardless?

"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "They realize this could fail, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and let's go as early as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.

Overly Optimistic

Several in the education sector who express similar reservations.

Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."

Peter noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing two backgrounds. He went on to learn at the University of Cambridge.

"The notion that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can in some way impart the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, seems to me naive and unrealistic," he commented.

"Based on my background, having a typically English tutor from babyhood will does not automatically achieve the outcome they desire.

"I did not have such a figure, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."

He stated: "The fact is, self-identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be selected, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be educated – and marketed.

"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating