declining a request for exemption

Dear X

Ok, I understand your situation
but I shall have to decline your request
I'm afraid. Fluency or native speaker level
is not the issue.

We have had quite a few LS students with English
as their first language.
This is because the LS courses
are skills courses rather than general English courses.

Although being a native speaker
is a clear advantage,
presentation skills are not automatically acquired
with English fluency.

Regarding the issue of you now
being quite an expert at presenting,
I don't doubt that your need for the course
may be less now, given that you have done many presentations.

However, if we were to set a precedent
by allowing you an exemption
on this basis,
we would in effect invalidate all our courses;

the rule is that we only give exemptions
if someone has done an identical
or virtually identical course beforehand.
Making an exemption is unfair to other students

which is sort of what
"rules are rules"
(a rather empty-sounding phrase, granted)
implies.

I am happy to explain this in person
but I am not open
to negotiation
I'm afraid.