John Gerritsen

Hundreds of thousands of children returned to school and early learning today, squirting litres of hand sanitiser and putting carefully-developed hygiene plans to the test. Video

Teachers and principals are bracing themselves for all manner of reactions when 800,000 school children return to class today for the first time in eight weeks.

Trade training gets a $1.6 billion Budget boost aimed at trainees and their employers.

Principals are pondering how to handle things as they prepare to reopen schools under alert level two on Monday.

Timetable changes, zoom meetings and a lot more hand washing will be features of the new-look schooling awaiting more than 800,000 children and teachers under alert level 2.

Education leaders by turns slammed and praised the Education Ministry's response to the Covid-19 pandemic at Parliament's Epidemic Response Committee today.

Immigration New Zealand figures show the number of foreign students in the country has fallen sharply in the past six weeks.

Victoria University is considering slashing staff pay by a fifth or moving them to a four-day week to help it cope with a forecast $50m drop in income, while Lincoln University is asking staff for a 5… Audio

From what families have told schools, only a few children will return when they partially reopen next week.

Health fears and lack of demand are likely to keep many early childhood centres shut when schools partially reopen next week.

School playgrounds will be off limits and children will be kept in bubbles of no more than 10 when schools partially reopen next week.

Early childhood services want more evidence it will be safe to reopen next week and some are likely to remain closed. Audio

Secondary principals are worried students from poor families and those studying practical subjects are falling behind as they contemplate several more weeks of remote learning. Audio

Principals are warning the government's plans for partially reopening schools at alert level 3 will run into problems.

Kitchen tables, living rooms and bedrooms were converted into classrooms today as 800,000 children went back to school without leaving their homes.

The second school term starts today, with more than 800,000 teachers and students starting two weeks of remote learning.

Tertiary students are hoping a promised government package will help students struggling to pay for essentials like food and power because of the lockdown.

The government's education lockdown package will help when schools resume teaching next week, but a prolonged shut down would cause problems, principals say. Audio

Foreign student leaders warn 60,000 international students here need support - they're a long way from home, worried about families, study and work.

The Ministry of Education has granted some schools an exemption from starting the two-week school holidays on Monday.

The $5 billion foreign student industry is facing a massive downturn with as many as half of this year's enrolments now in doubt.

Teachers are in class today for the last time before the lockdown begins and they are all preparing exactly the same lesson for the nation's 800,000 school children.

All schools and early childhood centres need to be closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Teaching Council chief executive Lesley Hoskin says.

Schools are figuring out how to teach students from home if they are shut down because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Principals are frustrated that parents are refusing to send their children to school for fear of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Audio