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A children's charity is warning back to school costs are hitting families in hardship so badly it's stopping kids from going to school.
A KidsCan survey of 210 one to four decile schools found students were often absent on the all-important first day or week of school because they didn't have the supplies they needed.
In one case four brothers had to share one school shirt and so only one of them could be at school at a time.
Kaikoura High School deputy principal Jo Fissenden speaks to Corin Dann.