Absent and Not Excused

Teachers are the keepers of attendance registers. They have a legal obligation to do so. But where there are absences, what can be said? What can be inferred? What can be done? Most research into attendance difficulties has focused on families and their problems. It is true that the vast majority of children with attendance difficulties have home circumstances that are causing them stress. However,
many of the children who are regular attenders have the same home circumstances and they attend. When children are absent, what counts as a reasonable excuse, a reasonable cause?