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"A household residing in north London wants to find an remarkable and qualified tutor to guide their smallest child on his early path to becoming an English gentleman."

When reading this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "first-steps" as just figurative language.

But, it may be the most significant part of this distinctive employment listing, as it seeks to recruit a mentor for a infant.

Many of responses have already been sent in since the unnamed family advertised their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".

Over the last few weeks, the post has gained attention across the media, with several questioning why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, head and founder of Tutors International, which is helping the family in their quest, said that in spite of first scepticism, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "progressive".

When he met the family, he said they understood the unconventional nature of their demand, and how immature their son is.

But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural bias had already taken hold".

What precisely does the family mean by "cultural bias"?

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

He said the elder child had adopted "very nuanced, body language" from the family, and had adopted their cultural habits. The family informed the consultant they hoped to prevent the same situation to recur with their new baby.

The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who must speak with standard English accent, to influence the baby from day one.

Subtle Influence

"A lot of the learning at the start here is rather absorbed naturally," stated the expert.

It's through this osmosis that the family are hoping the child will adopt the UK customs they want to impart.

The consultant noted the tutor needed to be someone who attended "the appropriate educational institutions – comparable categories of schools as the family plan to send their son to".

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

Expense Not a Factor

The family told him the successful candidate should preferably also have knowledge of or interest in equestrian activities, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.

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

In the family's view, helping their son become a "English gentleman" will bring about achievement and provide access.

"For all the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he adds.

However, in spite of all this guidance in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he is raised by anyway?

"Yes", said the CEO. "They realize this might not succeed, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the cost of it is irrelevant," he stated.

Overly Optimistic

Several in the private teaching field who express those concerns.

Peter Cui, chief executive of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, commented that "the journey of adopting dual cultures, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not designed."

He wrote that he had moved from the Far East to the Britain at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated knowing and embodying two backgrounds. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge.

"The concept that a single person can serve as a representation of Britishness, a person who can somehow transfer the qualities of a British gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me idealistic and impractical," he stated.

"In my experience, having a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will not automatically produce the goal they hope for.

"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to experience several of the experiences they aspire for their son."

He continued: "The truth is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."

Buying Britishness

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

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