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"A family residing in the northern part of London seeks an remarkable and skilled tutor to guide their most junior child on his first steps to turning into an British gentleman."

When reading this advertisement, you might readily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple a turn of phrase.

Yet, it may be the crucial element of this distinctive employment listing, as it aims to find a tutor for a 12-month-old.

Numerous of submissions have since been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the highly paid tutor, who must be "someone very special".

During the past few weeks, the advert has attracted notice throughout the press, with several wondering why?

Forward-Thinking Method

Adam Caller, head and founder of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their quest, explained that in spite of initial skepticism, he considered the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".

When he met the family, he said they understood the atypical aspect of their request, and how immature their son is.

Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to hire a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already taken hold".

What exactly does the family refer to by "cultural bias"?

It's "everything", the expert answered. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".

He stated the older sibling had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural norms. The family informed him they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their new baby.

The intention: To hire a English tutor, who must speak with Received Pronunciation, to shape the baby right from the beginning.

Natural Absorption

"Much of the learning at the outset here is rather osmotic," explained the expert.

It's by means of this osmosis that the family are aiming the child will adopt the English characteristics they wish to cultivate.

The consultant noted the tutor needed to be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

"The educator just has 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 informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in equestrian activities, winter sports, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to influence the child in a broad spectrum of passions.

Additionally though, he said the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of courses so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".

In the family's view, helping their son develop into a "UK sophisticate" will lead to achievement and provide access.

"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.

However, notwithstanding all this tutelage in "Britishness", could the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the globally influenced family he resides with regardless?

"Yes", replied Adam. "The family know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the view of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as quickly as we can', because the price of it is irrelevant," he stated.

Impractical

There are some in the tutoring industry who share these concerns.

Another CEO, head and founder of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."

He noted that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the period of childhood, and had been educated experiencing and practicing both cultures. He progressed to study at the University of Cambridge.

"The concept that a single person can act as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can possibly transfer the qualities of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and impractical," he wrote.

"From my perspective, having a typically British tutor from babyhood will does not instantly create the result they desire.

"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been privileged enough to live many of the opportunities they desire for their son."

He stated: "The fact is, personal identity should not be imposed from the outside influences; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."

Purchasing UK Culture

Naturally, English culture is something the expert believes can be instructed – and commercialized.

"In my view the situation that the world regards us in this light is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating