Some parents have been caught off guard by news schools won't automatically reopen when alert level 4 ends, and they're worried about the impact on their children's education.
As a result, one Auckland principal is calling for NCEA achievement expectations to be adjusted.
Albany Senior High School principal Claire Amos says it's a stressful time for senior students.
"Not knowing what is happening with NCEA is causing real anxiety for our young people, particularly year 12 and 13 where this might be the last year of high school. They need to know what's going on and they need to know sooner rather than later."
She says the changes in teaching between before and after the lockdown is disruptive for all students.
"This is disruptive teaching and learning is going to make a very real difference to how much our students achieve."
One mother in Katikati told Newshub homeschooling her two teenage daughters and young son over the lockdown has made her stressed, anxious and unable to sleep.
"I try to push it all to the back of my mind because if you think about it too much you will go crazy," Michele Pointon says.
"It is hard because a lot of people are alone in this, lots of single parents out there. Even in homes with both parents it's hard - we're not teachers."
Like many parents, she was hoping level 4 would end and school would start. Some businesses will reopen after the lockdown period, leaving Pointon to choose between going back to work and educating her children.
"I can't leave the kids at home to homeschool themselves, because that won't happen. But I also need to have an income, so it's quite stressful," she says.
Minister of Education Chris Hipkins says there are safety issues to consider when reopening schools, such as how to ensure social distancing as well as the number of teachers who are considered high risk.
"It's going to be a progressive warming up of the system rather than a big bang all at once," he says.
