Dmitry isn't the problem

Boo, boo, Rasputin.

I knew that sooner or later we’d get the usual dressing down about the state of marks (or lack of them) in the on-line mark book. I came down with a migraine on the day of that meeting, which was almost certainly triggered by the prospect of some annoying rant and the resulting pressure from it.

Vlad used the same excuse as last year, viz. he’d had complaints from “parents”. In fact, it was Rasputin sticking his nose in where no one asked him to stick it. As a result we scrambled to add some entries, although as I’d already started the process in anticipation of this, and I’m still slowly working on it.

I’m fairly certain that almost none of the parents even bother looking at the mark book. I’m fairly certain that it has no effect on the chances of any child. It’s a pointless exercise if we’re simply dishing out marks for the sake of making it appear active (e.g. everyone gets the same for classwork regardless of how indolent they might have been) to keep Vlad happy.

Rasputin is a nuisance. He’s such a control freak that he seems to think that nothing lies outside of his jurisdiction. We had issues with him during the exams last year because teachers aren’t meant to have any involvement in any of the exams for subjects they’ve taught, but Rasputin blundered in until Sarasvati laid down the law to him.

He’s like the biblical serpent whispering in Eve’s ear, and Vlad seems to be a ready audience for his poisonous words.

Is Rasputin plotting to ascend to the throne, and if not here, then somewhere? Perhaps. Will he sow despair among his vassals? Almost certainly. It remains to be seen how many of the Science Department survive, but if the answer to that question turns out to be “Rasputin”, I shan’t be at all surprised.