There are lots of examples of children being away from school for all sorts of reasons in the Log Books of Victorian schools.
Sometimes there are also reasons for the teachers being away ! Usually it is because of illness, but sometimes it is because the teacher would rather be somewhere else !
The teachers were very badly paid in Victorian times (Many teachers still feel the same way today !) so they probably thought they deserved a few breaks !

This comes from the records of Llangurig School for 1887 :
"A half day holiday was given on Thursday afternoon that the teacher might go to Llanidloes to have a peep at Mr Gladstone. I went, and had the satisfaction of not only seeing him but of hearing him".

William Gladstone was the British Prime Minister at various times between 1868 and 1894, though he was not in office in 1887. He was a very famous man in the Victorian age, and his coming to Llanidloes would have been a very special occasion. It is not surprising that the teacher would have wanted to be there to see him !

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