1st Step: Set up absences.
In Settings > Personalization > Choose a default display :
All students are noted absently: Attendance should be noted at the time of the lesson.
All students are marked as present: Absences should be noted at the time of the lesson.
2nd Step: Note an absence.
In "Schedule" or "Calendar", select an activity > Click on "Manage my bookings" > Click on "Present" box to make the student absent.
When the student is marked absent, he or she appears in red.