Year 9 and 10 students have the ability to return, if working from home is not an option. People in those year groups are often under 14 years old, the legal age to stay home without supervision.
This will mean that senior students, working towards their NCEA qualifications, will have to continue doing their assignments away from the classroom.
Despite the disruption COVID-19 has caused, one Christchurch principal seemed happy with how both staff and students were adapting.
"People are engaging, and that’s what we want - keeping students connected to schools, and the learning that is going on," President of the Canterbury Secondary Schools Principals Association, Phil Holstein said.
"There are those that are really thriving and want more then there’s those on the other hand that are less engaged, and we’re having to find new ways to better engage with them as well."
However, the new way of learning has proved to be a challenge for those without internet connection at home, or access to devices.
Holstein, who is also principal of Burnside High School, said there was only a small number of families affected at his school, but schools in other areas of Canterbury were "having to deal with a lot more."
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday more than 6,000 internet routers had been distributed around the country, on top of 10,000 devices. Physical learning packs have also been spread far across the country, written in English and Te Reo Māori.
Christchurch schools had also been working with the Ministry of Education to courier their own devices to the homes of students.