how do i use words in calculating formulas?

[TheConqueror]

Book2.xlsx

Tried to find an answer but couldn't...

I am trying to set up a sheet that I can use to log attendance and calculate a % attendance. Below is the basic layout, what I am looking for is a way to set it up so that when i enter "Present" in a field, it will automatically add 1 to the first "TOTALS" Column, total "Absent"s would be calculated in the second column and all "Excused" in the third "TOTALS" Column. The "RATE" is just an attendance percentage based on the total of Present and Absent.

Is there a way for excel to understand that each word, Present, Absent, Excused is added in individual columns? Thanks everyone, hope this makes sense.

8/16/2011 9/20/2011 10/18/2011 11/15/2011 12/20/2011 1/17/2012 2/21/2012 3/20/2012 4/17/2012 5/15/2012 TOTALS RATE
PRESENT PRESENT ABSENT PRESENT PRESENT ABSENT EXCUSED PRESENT ABSENT ABSENT 5 1 4 56%
EXCUSED EXCUSED EXCUSED EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT ABSENT PRESENT ABSENT EXCUSED 3 5 2 60%
EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT EXCUSED EXCUSED 6 4 0 100%
EXCUSED ABSENT ABSENT PRESENT ABSENT ABSENT PRESENT ABSENT ABSENT ABSENT 2 1 7 22%
PRESENT PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT 9 1 0 100%
PRESENT EXCUSED EXCUSED EXCUSED PRESENT ABSENT EXCUSED PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT 4 5 1 80%
EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT ABSENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT 8 1 1 89%
PRESENT PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT ABSENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT ABSENT PRESENT 7 1 2 78%
PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT 9 1 0 100%
PRESENT PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT 7 3 0 100%
EXCUSED PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT ABSENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT 8 1 1 89%