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"A household residing in north London seeks an exceptional and qualified tutor to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."

Looking at this advertisement, you might naturally skip the wording "first-steps" as mere figurative language.

Yet, it could be the most significant part of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a 12-month-old.

Hundreds of submissions have since been submitted since the unidentified family posted their request for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the post has gained notice across the media, with numerous asking why?

Innovative Idea

A tutoring expert, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is supporting the family in their search, said that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he spoke with the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.

Nevertheless, they stated that they "didn't want to wait any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their older child was five, and by that age "cultural conditioning had already set in".

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

It's "everything", Adam responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".

He said the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to Adam they hoped to prevent the same situation to happen again with their younger child.

The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the education at the start here is rather osmotic," explained the expert.

It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they want to instil.

He said the tutor needed to be someone who attended "prestigious academies – similar types of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The educator simply needs to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they aren't even aware they're doing, effortlessly," he commented.

Money No Object

The family told Adam the selected educator should preferably also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to register the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's perspective, guiding their son grow into a "British gentleman" will result in achievement and open doors.

"Considering the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's definitely a status symbol," he adds.

Yet, despite all this guidance in "English culture", could the child adopt alleged cultural bias from the international family he resides with regardless?

"Absolutely", replied the CEO. "The family know this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'we should try and let's go as soon as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he stated.

Impractical

There are some in the education sector who share similar concerns.

Peter Cui, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of embracing two identities, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not manufactured."

He explained that he had emigrated from the Far East to the UK at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and living both cultures. He progressed to study at Cambridge University.

"The notion that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can in some way transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a one-year-old child, strikes me as optimistic and impractical," he stated.

"From my perspective, employing a typically UK tutor from early childhood will not automatically produce the outcome they hope for.

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

He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must come from within."

Acquiring Englishness

Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO believes can be taught – and marketed.

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