CELTA certificates cannot be replaced

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

See below:

From: [hexuan]
Sent: 21 August 2004 09:52
To: ESOLhelpdesk@ucles.org.uk
Subject: CELTA Certificate

I have lost my certificate. How do I go about getting a replacement ?

Thanks

[Hexuan]

From: ESOL Helpdesk [mailto:ESOLHelpdesk@UCLES.org.uk]
Sent: 23 August 2004 17:46
To: [hexuan]
Subject: RE: CELTA Certificate

Dear [Hexuan]

I regret that it is UCLES’ policy not to issue duplicate certificates in
these circumstances. However, we will provide a certifying statement of the
result in accordance with the conditions specified on the application form,
a copy of which may be found at
cambridge-efl.org/support/dloads/cs_form.pdf.

Best wishes

Anna

Anna Merenyi
Centre Support Officer
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
1 Hills Road
Cambridge CB1 2EU
merenyi.a@ucles.org.uk

  • 44(0)1223 553184

From: [hexuan]
Sent: 21 August 2004 09:52
To: ESOLhelpdesk@ucles.org.uk
Subject: RE: CELTA Certificate

Gosh, how incredibly patronizing. After spending a thousand pounds to do the CELTA, and losing my certificate as I travel to the other side of the globe, I am to be treated like a schoolboy who has lost his lunch money.

What incredible conceit (or is it commercial cynicism?) UCLES displays in relation to its precious certificates. Could I be so naive as to ask what possible benefit this policy has for anybody ?

[hexuan]

Dear [Hexuan]

Thank you for your e-mail, which has been forwarded to me by Anna Merenyi.

As you are aware, UCLES’ / Cambridge ESOL regulations do not permit the issuing of duplicatec ertificates where the original has been lost or mislaid. The certificates we issue are regarded as unique documents and will not therefore be replaced.

In these circumstances we will provide a ‘certifying statement’ of the result. This is an A4 document drawn directly from our records which provides official verification of the qualification in question. A certifying statement can be used in place of the original certificate when submitting an application to an employer, and unlike the original, will be replaced on request.

For CELTA courses, for the minimum fee of

2

I would like to point out that Trinity College London is happy to issue replacement certificates for its CertTESOL course.

Of course the bloke round the corner will issue replacement certificates of anything for NT$200. How mindbogglingly ironic that as someone who’s actually done the bloody course I am going to have to get a fake certificate done up becuase UCLES - an English organisation (can’t blame the Taiwanese for this one) - won’t issue a replacement certificate.

So anyone taking UCLES examinations bear this in mind.

3

I am going to start a poll to determine what 'umosans think about Irish guys that answer their own posts.

ToeNeedles

4

I heard also that if you lose your CELTA, UCLES gives you a 15% discount on DELTA course fees.

UCLES and British Council are a pair of money-sucking leeches who hide behind their status as educators and/or charities.

[url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/tefl/story/0,5500,1246596,00.html]The British Council’s network of facilities across Russia have agreed to hand over part of their financial records following a bruising dispute with the foreign ministry in which they were threatened with a large tax bill.

The row, which started when the Russian tax police said that the council had to account for the “big money” it made teaching English to Russians here, was defused when Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin discussed the issue on the sidelines at the G8 summit in the US this month. The two leaders agreed to “try to solve the situation as quickly as possible”, according to the British embassy.[/url]

5

[quote=“hexuan”]I would like to point out that Trinity College London is happy to issue replacement certificates for its CertTESOL course.

Of course the bloke round the corner will issue replacement certificates of anything for NT$200. How mindbogglingly ironic that as someone who’s actually done the bloody course I am going to have to get a fake certificate done up becuase UCLES - an English organisation (can’t blame the Taiwanese for this one) - won’t issue a replacement certificate.

So anyone taking UCLES examinations bear this in mind.[/quote]
Hex, sorry they’re jerking you around. I took the CELTA. I was concerned about ever receiving my certificate in the first place. But, it survived international mailing into Taiwan, etc. etc. and actually arrived only slightly bent. Actually getting it into my hands once in Taiwan was a real adventure, but that’s another story.

I thought the CELTA program was good, relatively speaking. However, there did seem to be a lot of policy for policy’s sake, and that detracted from what was otherwise pretty useful.

If the policies concerning conduct of the course itself weren’t enough of a tip-off, the fact that it takes Cambridge over two months to produce the silly little certificates after course completion would be a sure give-away that they are very self-absorbed and suffer from the “monopoly” virus.

UCLES’ refusal to replace the certificates, especially in a TEFL environment where the originals are what officials want to see, is just preposterous. That organization impressed me in the beginning as being a little too enamoured with itself, and your experience cements that impression. And as for the DELTA, I don’t care how wonderful it may be --because it’s a UCLES program, I won’t take it.

Seeker4

6

More fuel for the fire…

I was laughing at “monkey’s” tagline below:

“If you stay here much longer you’ll all be slitty-eyed.”
– His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, addressing a group of British students in Xian, China.

… and decided to figure out just when Philip said this (1986). Long story short, I stumbled upon Prince Philip’s full title:

His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich, Admiral of the Fleet, Knight of the Garter, Knight of the Thistle, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Member of the Queen’s Service Order, Privy Counsellor and Privy Counsellor for Canada.

I think the whole CELTA certificate thing is making a lot more sense now!!

:saywhat:

Seeker4

7

I would like to also point out that the University of Cambridge will happily replace lost degree certificates.

I’m pretty pissed off because I am being treated like a fool. I paid a thousand quid to do this bloody certificate and I want a replacement certificate.

I was not told before I did the course I would get one certificate to last me my whole life. Ridiculous. I certainly wouldn’t touch their DELTA now. What if you lose that ? If I do a dip I’ll be doing the Trinity one, they seem to have a bit more respect for their customers.

8

Hi, just wanted to know if there’d been any update on this situation as I’m in a similar boat… We were moving house, had stuff in storage, and thieves broke in… stealing a bunch of stuff including my certificates…

Cheers!

9

Isn’t non-replacement the policy of some other British institutions, too? My husband tried to get a copy of his Masters from Birmingham Uni to bring overseas so that he could leave the original at home, and they wouldn’t issue him an extra one because of the fear of forgery. Makes you wonder, though. With something like that, what if your original gets lost in a fire or gets stolen, where would your ‘proof’ of graduation be then besides in your transcripts?

10

Wow, I had never seen this thread before. What a load of shite not replacing a stupid piece of paper. Like LL said, you can get everything else replaced: birth certificates, degree certificates, driving licences, passports, other teaching certificates. What makes the CELTA certificate so special? Stuck up their own arse, whoever decided that.

11

If the original document is supposed to be unique, why not issue another unique replacement document? They can write the words “original duplicate” right on the thing if they want, but at least re-issue another document!

And it seems stupid to me that they don’t want to make a bit more money selling replacements.

12

It would seem prudent for authorities to assume that any document may have been forged, and to stop focusing on pieces of paper.

13

Yes, I’m going through the same thing at the end of 2013!!! The saudi embassy is rejecting my visa application because I don’t have the original!!! It’s true we were not told before starting the course that we had just one to last us the rest of our lives!!! The university of London replaces lost degrees, you can get your birth certificate replaced… Somebody really needs to take legal action against them as there is absolutely no reason why we should not be entitled to receive replacement certificates!!! The course costs 1000 pounds and I’m missing out on a very lucrative job!!! What the hell do they mean “unique document” … They can’t be serious!! ! Aahhh!!!