The74: 

The first day of school is a major milestone, no matter your grade, age or hometown. But back to school during this strange and disorienting year, amid an ongoing public health crisis, means something much different.

Depending on where you live, it feels radically different too.

Over the past few weeks, as new photos have emerged from schools around the planet, we’ve seen fleeting glimpses of normalcy: German students clutching their sugar cones, Ukrainian students greeted by bells and balloons, friends sharing much-delayed hugs across various continents. But zoom back a bit and that modicum of normalcy quickly fades into the background, obscured by masks, disinfectant sprays, distanced classrooms, shuttered hallways and one-way campuses.

Read the full photo story here