College Records Deleted

Paddytheman

This query related to a College in France but I really just dont know where to start.

My fiancee completed a Diploma in Social Care in a private college in France about 10 years ago, after completing the course she could have collected her papers but due to family circumstances was unable to and proceeded to get a job in France doing the work she had trained for working with troubled children.

Now we are living together in Dublin and she eventually found a similar job where she has been very happy but when a promotion recently was offered she was required to have her qualifications professionally translated and the position would have been hers. She contacted the college who informed her that her file had never been uploaded to computer and they had deleted all their old files therefore there is nothing that she can do. She has since written to three seperate departments of the college and made many phone calls but they are simply telling her that her records no longer exist.

I simply cannot believe that any educational system in any developed country could allow for such a thing to happen. She has missed out on the job she deserved and it will take 4 years and more money than we can afford to complete a similar course in Ireland.

I know its a different country but would appreciate any advice that would give me a starting point as I believe that 3 years of her life simply cannot have been erased and if so the responsibillity to make things right lies with someone.

Milk & Honey

Check out the DATA Protection/ Freedom of Information type laws in France. Make an official application under those laws for all data held. Complain to the relevant authority if none is forthcoming.

amen

Money talks. I bet they still have receipts/ledgers of payments. Contact lectures, involve the french embassy etc

Peregrinus

Find out if the college was authorised/licensed by any public authority in France to award degrees, diplomas certificates and the like. The authority concerned might be something like the Department of Education, or it could be a body which regulates professional qualifications. If the college is authorised/licensed by a body of that kind, then there is a good chance that it is also supervised/regulated by that body, which will take a very dim view of the college not being able so say whether or not they awarded a qualification to your fiancee.

Paddytheman

Cheers all, appreciate it !!

Del2005

Peregrinus wrote: »

Find out if the college was authorised/licensed by any public authority in France to award degrees, diplomas certificates and the like. The authority concerned might be something like the Department of Education, or it could be a body which regulates professional qualifications. If the college is authorised/licensed by a body of that kind, then there is a good chance that it is also supervised/regulated by that body, which will take a very dim view of the college not being able so say whether or not they awarded a qualification to your fiancee.

Should the body that accredited the college not have a record of who the college passed?

James Jones

Paddytheman wrote: »

My fiancee completed a Diploma in Social Care in a private college in France about 10 years ago, after completing the course she could have collected her papers but due to family circumstances was unable to and proceeded to get a job in France doing the work she had trained for working with troubled children.

Now we are living together in Dublin and she eventually found a similar job where she has been very happy but when a promotion recently was offered she was required to have her qualifications professionally translated and the position would have been hers.

I don't believe that someone could get work with troubled children without confirmation of their qualifications being required, either here or in France.
Also, I do not believe that anyone who was intelligent enough to obtain a degree would leave the country they were educated in without obtaining proof of their qualifications.

But maybe I'm a bit too cynical?

Peregrinus

Del2005 wrote: »

Should the body that accredited the college not have a record of who the college passed?

Not necessarily. After all, the NUI has a charter from the Irish government, but the Irish government doesn't keep records of who has been awarded NUI degrees; the NUI does that.

Del2005

Peregrinus wrote: »

Not necessarily. After all, the NUI has a charter from the Irish government, but the Irish government doesn't keep records of who has been awarded NUI degrees; the NUI does that.

If you go to university in Galway or Maynooth they'd have to inform the NUI you've qualified. The college may loose your paper work but for quality and countless other reason the NUI, which is the accreditation body for the individual universities, should have a record of who they awarded qualifications to.

Paddytheman

James Jones wrote: »

I don't believe that someone could get work with troubled children without confirmation of their qualifications being required, either here or in France.
Also, I do not believe that anyone who was intelligent enough to obtain a degree would leave the country they were educated in without obtaining proof of their qualifications.

But maybe I'm a bit too cynical?

Genuine problem here and appreciate the general responses, we have made enquiries and are picking up speed.


James, some really lazy comments there, check this out:

"I dont believe you were having a good day and simply wanted to gripe",

See, I had no information on your circumstances and simply typed it out, just like you did.....great fun