We already have streaming

HL vs. SL, anyone?

There will only be four of us teaching English next year. I don’t think it’ll affect the workload that much [08.06.15. I was right]. I may pick up a replacement for my A2s or, possibly, won’t get any new classes. It depends on whether there are HL and SL classes for the AS students.

The intention is to allow only the most academically competent students to enter the IB programme, while the rest do A-levels. It’s possible that some clever, but lazy students will choose to do A-levels instead, but in theory, the A-level students mainly won’t have the brains to do HL. If this is the case, it’s possible the number of classes we have will increase to more usual numbers, but the actual number of classes won’t change.

In addition to this, I’ve been told there’s going to be streaming and school exams. This means that there will be at least one class that is, in truth, remedial. Whether they’ll do some entirely different programme, I don’t know, but they’d have to be dismally stupid to fail SL (although some of this year’s A2s may achieve that dubious distinction). I’ve been told that this class will be shared among us, although I’m not quite sure what that will mean, and I can’t help but suspect Dmitry will manage to avoid them altogether.

School exams are a cheat, of course, because it will make our results look better overall by removing the biggest dunces from circulation. While in turn this might make us look good, it doesn’t guarantee the quality of future applicants, although I’m hoping that this year’s intellectually dreadful IGCSE students will be an aberration, an unfortunate consequence of the headmaster’s greed and attempted duplicity last year.

One of the two replacements is an experienced IB teacher, and the other may be some NQT-like thing who has no experience teaching IB at all. The latter should end up teaching IGCSE, no doubt ably advised by Dmitry (who, let me remind you, was unaware that IGCSE English was not A-level English). The former will no doubt deal with the IB classes, possibly along with Dmitry who, as I’ve hinted, is highly likely to make sure he avoids the dunces.

This will be interesting because Dmitry won’t talk to me or Ms Giggles about English B. Will he talk to an experienced American IB teacher instead? Don’t bet on it. The Vlad School of Management appears to run on the principle of never asking underlings about anything.

In addition to two new English teacher’s, we’re probably going to have our own Alιna Kαβaεva, another kiddie teacher and Vlad’s foreign (yes, non-Chinese) concubine who, it seems, can teach just about anything even if she’s never done it before.

With Sarasvati’s job on the line, what are the odds either Dmitry or Alιna ends up as IB co-ordinator?

This sort of nepotism is likely to lead to a decline in the quality of teaching because, say, two of the people who will need to be scrutinised most closely will be adjudged to be of the highest standard when they aren’t. If such people are found to be wanting, who do we turn to to have the situation rectified?

In a recent survey I had to fill out, I’m wishing I’d added a comment about how inappropriate it is for management to be allowed to appoint minions regardless of their fitness for the job. Dmitry got to be HOD because Vlad wanted him in that role, but in reality, Dmitry doesn’t have the qualities or the brains to be HOD. Nor should Vlad be allowed to employ his concubine to teach at the school.

I can only hope that I can outlast either Vlad or Dmitry, but even I might be tempted to apply to be HOD once Dmitry’s gone. (Actually, I’m sure the details in the Handbook preclude me from such a post, and I suspect Dmitry would’ve met the requirements with Vlad’s connivance.)