Today about 800,000 children are returning to school for the first time in eight weeks. Most have not been to school since 24 March.
Schools have to maintain strict hygiene with hand sanitiser in classrooms and contact registers for all school visitors.
Principals told RNZ they have been figuring out how best to ease students back into classroom learning after weeks of remote learning at home.
RNZ Reporters are stationed outside schools to see how students (and parents) are coping with the first day back.
