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"A household residing in North London is looking for an exceptional and qualified educator to assist their most junior child on his initial journey to turning into an English gentleman."

Looking at this post, you might naturally skip the phrase "first-steps" as just a turn of phrase.

But, it might be the crucial part of this unusual position posting, as it attempts to find a mentor for a infant.

Hundreds of submissions have since been received since the unidentified family advertised their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".

In recent few weeks, the post has received interest across the news, with several wondering why?

Progressive Approach

A tutoring expert, head and founder of a global tutoring firm, which is assisting the family in their hunt, explained that notwithstanding first skepticism, he viewed the idea "far sighted", and "innovative".

When he spoke with the family, he mentioned they recognized the unusual character of their demand, and how early in age their son is.

Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to get a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural conditioning had already set in".

What precisely did the family mean by "cultural leaning"?

It's "comprehensive", he answered. "How you eat, how you speak".

He said the elder child had picked up "extremely delicate, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told him they wished to avoid history to happen again with their younger child.

The strategy: 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 development at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," explained Adam.

It's through this subtle influence that the family are hoping the child will acquire the English characteristics they want to impart.

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

"The tutor just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he commented.

Money No Object

The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or passion in equestrian activities, winter sports, creative fields and music so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of interests.

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

In the family's minds, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.

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

Yet, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child adopt what is termed cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?

"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The family realize this may not work, but they've simply adopted the perspective of, 'why not attempt it and we'll proceed as early as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he said.

Overly Optimistic

Several in the education sector who have similar doubts.

Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who supplies private tutors, wrote that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, forming one's identity, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."

He wrote that he had emigrated from Asia to the UK at the age of seven, and had been brought up knowing and living both cultures. He progressed to study at a prestigious UK institution.

"The notion that an individual can function as a representation of Britishness, a person who can possibly transplant the characteristics of a British gentleman onto a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.

"In my experience, engaging a distinctly UK tutor from early childhood will does not necessarily achieve the result they hope for.

"I did not have that kind of mentor, and yet I have been lucky enough to experience many of the opportunities they desire for their son."

He stated: "The reality is, cultural identity should not be imposed from the outside; it must be embraced, and it must be internally driven."

Buying Britishness

Of course, Britishness is something Adam hopes can be educated – and sold.

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