Cwmbelan School 2
Rural distractions
The extract below from the School Log Book for July 17th 1874 shows more of the difficulties faced by teachers in rural schools. Poorer families needed to exploit any opportunity to earn a little extra money and kept their children away from school.
Log Book
Powys
County Archives
M/E/PS/16/L1
The extract reads:-
"Admitted 11 new scholars this week - 9 of which were
never in a school before, consequently they were very dull and
unpolished. Some progress has been made by all the scholars this
week especially Standard 1 and the Upper Infants. Some were absent
from school this week assisting with the hay-harvest I understand
the weather being so exeedingly favourable."
Potato picking
In October that year the Headmaster recorded another
such distraction. His entry also reveals his awareness of the
importance of the work.
The entry reads:-
"No new pupils -; the attendance has been exceedingly
scanty throughout the week, the av. attendance being only 18;
most of the children were assisting in drawing the potatoes I
understand, the weather being so favourable for that indispensable
work."
In the following July it was "shearing" which caused
many absences.
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