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"A family located in North London wants to find an exceptional and skilled instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to becoming an British gentleman."

Upon seeing this post, you might readily overlook the term "first-steps" as simple a turn of phrase.

Yet, it might be the most significant part of this unusual employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.

Hundreds of responses have now been sent in since the unidentified family advertised their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".

During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted attention in the press, with many wondering why?

Progressive Approach

Adam Caller, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that despite initial skepticism, he considered the plan "far sighted", and "innovative".

When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the atypical character of their request, and how immature their son is.

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

What precisely does the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?

It's "everything", the expert replied. "How you eat, the manner you speak".

He said the firstborn had picked up "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had taken on their cultural habits. The family explained to Adam they did not want history to repeat itself with their younger child.

The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who needs to speak with RP, to influence the baby from day one.

Osmotic Learning

"A lot of the education at the outset here is kind of osmotic," stated Adam.

It's via this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will pick up the UK customs they want to cultivate.

Adam noted the tutor had to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".

"The educator must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, just naturally," he said.

Expense Not a Factor

The family told him the successful candidate should ideally also have knowledge of or enthusiasm in horse riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of hobbies.

Furthermore though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "equestrian training and starting an tool by the time they are about three years old".

In the family's minds, assisting their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will bring about achievement and provide access.

"Taking into account the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he comments.

But, despite all this guidance in "Britishness", would the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?

"Yes", answered the CEO. "The parents understand this may not work, but they've merely embraced the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he stated.

Overly Optimistic

There are some in the private teaching field who share these doubts.

Another CEO, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the journey of becoming bicultural, or actually, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not manufactured."

The expert wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the UK at the age of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.

"The idea that a single person can serve as a representation of English culture, an individual who can in some way transfer the characteristics of a English gentleman to a infant child, strikes me as naive and impractical," he wrote.

"Based on my background, employing a distinctly British tutor from early childhood will will not instantly create the result they hope for.

"I never had that kind of mentor, and yet I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."

He continued: "The reality is, personal identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."

Purchasing UK Culture

Naturally, English culture is something the CEO hopes can be taught – and marketed.

"In my view the reality that the global community holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating