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"Parents located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced tutor to assist their smallest child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this advertisement, you might naturally miss the term "initial stages" as mere a turn of phrase.

But, it could be the most important element of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to hire a teacher for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of applications have now been received since the anonymous family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the advert has gained attention throughout the news, with numerous asking why?

Innovative Idea

The CEO, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, explained that in spite of early skepticism, he found the idea "far sighted", and "advanced".

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

But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had already become established".

What precisely did the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "everything", Adam replied. "How you eat, how you speak".

He said the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their new baby.

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

Natural Absorption

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

It's through this natural absorption that the family are aiming the child will acquire the British traits they want to impart.

He said the tutor needed to be somebody who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – similar types of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The tutor simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be doing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he added.

Money No Object

The family told him the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or interest in horse riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of interests.

More than that though, he explained the family desired the tutor to register the child on a variety of courses 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, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to success and provide access.

"Considering the rights and wrongs of that, because it's definitely a social class indicator," he adds.

However, despite all this guidance in "English culture", might the child absorb what is termed cultural leaning from the international family he is raised by in any case?

"Yes", answered the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.

Impractical

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

Peter Cui, head and founder of Blue Education, who supplies personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."

Peter noted that he had emigrated from China to the United Kingdom at the period of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and practicing both cultures. He continued to be educated at the University of Cambridge.

"The idea that a single person can serve as a living vessel of English culture, someone who can in some way transfer the attributes of a UK sophisticate onto a infant child, appears idealistic and unfeasible," he wrote.

"Based on my background, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will will not instantly create the result they want.

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

He added: "The truth is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

Certainly, UK identity is something the CEO believes can be taught – and sold.

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