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"Parents located in north London seeks an remarkable and experienced educator to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."

When reading this post, you might easily miss the wording "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.

But, it could be the crucial element of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a one-year-old.

Many of responses have since been received since the unnamed family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the post has attracted interest in the press, with several asking why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that notwithstanding first doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the unconventional nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.

However, they stated that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had by then taken hold".

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

It's "all-encompassing", Adam replied. "How 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 explained to Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to repeat itself with their infant.

The plan: To hire a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to shape the baby right from the beginning.

Subtle Influence

"A great deal of the learning at the start here is kind of osmotic," explained the expert.

It's via this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they aim to cultivate.

He explained the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".

"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, just naturally," he commented.

Cost Not Relevant

The family told Adam the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, alpine skiing, the arts and music so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

More than that though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's minds, guiding their son develop into a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and open doors.

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

But, in spite of all this tutelage in "UK identity", would the child pick up alleged cultural leaning from the globally influenced family he is raised by regardless?

"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he explained.

Idealistic and Unrealistic

Several in the private teaching field who have these reservations.

Peter Cui, chief executive of an educational organization, who provides private tutors, commented that "the journey of embracing two identities, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."

The expert explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the age of childhood, and had been raised understanding and living two backgrounds. He went on to be educated at Cambridge University.

"The idea that an individual can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can somehow impart the qualities of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, appears idealistic and unrealistic," he commented.

"In my experience, having a quintessentially British tutor from early childhood will not instantly achieve the goal they hope for.

"I never had such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy many of the experiences they hope for their son."

He added: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Purchasing UK Culture

Certainly, English culture is something the expert believes can be taught – and sold.

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