Profiteering - Failure to Fulfill Duty of Care

[absoluteDann]

What has the education ombudsman had to say on the topic? (Note that she likes to be called 'Madam Ombudsman' and gets quite upset when people do not realise that 'Ombudsman' is not a gender-specific term.)

[notlecordonbleu]

Through misunderstanding, miscommunication or otherwise I did not understand that LCBA had already taken action to resolve any issue prior to my posting of 18 November 2009.

I am happy to say that the matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of my son and me

[notlecordonbleu]

The saga goes on....Le Cordon Bleu Australia, having rescinded the fail grade, now go on to bully the student to withdraw his complaint & accept a petty settlement or else the $11,000 in school fees held for the course which the student was DENIED ENTRY TO, would not be refunded. That is despite several written advices from LCBA that the refund was "in process" & a subsequent explanation that the refund was not made due to lack of bank accounts details. Conveniently, LCBA did not write to the student to explain the delay.
If this behaviour is not "unconscionable conduct" on the part of a commercial education facility, then what is?
"Unconscionable Conduct" is defined under the Department of Justice and Communioty Safety" as "any behaviour which has the effect of unlawfully placing the other party to a transaction at a serious disadvantage".
To use the fact that "we hold your money" so "shut up & drop your claim" or we wont even pay you back your own money is a bully tactic unbecoming of a so-called quailty name like LCBA.
LCBA, you made a very negative impression in terms of your administrative ability & now you make matters worse by putting your denial on record.
LCBA may be a name in hotel schooling, but a check around with "blue ribbon" restaurateurs did not come up with one that gave LCBA any credibility for its culinary qualifications.
You want to be a chef, unless you need Australian immigration status, go for TAFE or somewhere similarly priced & work your way up the kitchen ladder.....you'll come out of it just as ready & probably around A$30,000 richer.

[notlecordonbleu]

My son completed 18 months of a 24 month culinary management diploma course at Le Cordon Bleu Australia (LCBA) with impeccable results. The 2nd last component of the course was an industry placement (IP) which must be completed prior to entering the final 6 months academic semester. During the industry placement, the school sent my son an IP assignment by email. The very simple assignment paper, which could easily have been given by hand at school of by post to the employer, was not received. The school made unsuccessful attempts to contact my son directly, however made no attempt to contact his employer. As a result, after leaving the employer & returning to school to recommence the course, my son was disallowed from continuing the course due to the IP assignment having been submitted late & proof of the industry placement hours not being provided, resulting in a fail grade. An upholding of the fail grade would mean that my son would have to redo the industry placement (3-6 months) & only then could he resume academic studies.
Dismayed that the school did not allow him to recommence studies whilst they investigated whether the industry placement requirements had in-fact been fulfilled, we investigated further & conclude as follows:
LCBA has no system of managed pastoral care & is commercially geared towards profiteering from foreign students whose primary motive is to achieve Australian residency. The vast majority of students are foreigners & Australian citizens do not pay lower fees. No efforts are made to check with IP employers' as to the student's IP progress. LCBA is not a highly regarded culinary institution within the Australian industry & their culinary stream is taking a ride on the international reputation of LCB's Hospitality school.
LCBA has taken A$36,000 of our money (of a total of $46,000 for the diploma course) & despite many promises has failed to refund A$11,000 which was prepaid for the final semester.
LCBA subsequently overturned the fail grade with a veiled apology & an offer for my son to continue his studies. He has decided however that his money would be much better spent elsewhere.
Le Cordon Bleu Australia is not worthy of any "blue ribbon".