Another complaint about children staying away from school. This is from the Log Book of Llanganten Board School in 1881...

30th September - "Many of the scholars have been away from school since the Examination day, namely the 20th of July.
I have repeatedly requested some of the parents to send their children regularly, but they have not done so. The average for the week is 22".
An entry from 20th October of the following year, 1882, reads "Some of the scholars I have not seen since July".
The entry below from Llanganten School in 1881 shows that it wasn't only the boys who were away for months...

An entry from Llandewi'r Cwm School in November 1886 said that "William Walter Davies returned after an absence of five months".

Children who had missed school for long periods often had to be put in a class with younger children when they came back, because they had fallen so far behind the others.
There is more about absence from school on the next page...

The little ones turn up more often...