old debt come back to haunt

i really need some advice re an old debt with the in home course company ICS . the basics are back in 1996 i signed up to do a course from home i beleive the course was £358 in all anyway after a couple of months we moved house and this course was forgotten in the excitment of things, anyway after another couple of months i contacted them to continue the course to be told i have defaulted by not contining the course and sending the payment over the period of the move, i was refered to a debt recovery company and offered to continued to pay on the peviso that when i had paid i could continue the course anyway somewhere along the line i had a conversation to one of their staff that even if i pay for the course (which i have only had two lots of paperwork for, not even the free software that was to come with it) i would not be able to complete this course at all.i owe this company £175 and they have just rang me again to collect on this money, they even offered me a pay in full discount to £125. the lady that rang last time kept mentioning the contract etc but i really begrudge paying over £300 for 2 a4 envelopes of papers.

is there any way that i could not be liable for this full amount if i have to pay it i will pay the minimum amount only but i will pay