Christmas holidays for Glasgow schools have been extended amid concerns about a faster spreading Covid strain. 

The plan will see the return of pupils to schools pushed back, with the majority of children taking to online learning. 

Mainland Scotland will enter level four coronavirus restrictions from December 26, with non-essential retail and restaurants not opening for Boxing Day.

READ MORE: Calls to close schools early amid concerns of new Covid-19 strain

When will schools return from holidays and what will change? 

Schools were originally meant to reopen following the Christmas break on January 6 in Glasgow. 

Teachers will return to classrooms as planned on the Wednesday, as will vulnerable children and those of key workers. 

However, most students will have their break period extended until January 11. 

Following that date, those students will begin online learning for at least one week until January 18. 

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon announces Level 4 lockdown from Boxing Day — Here's what you can and cannot do

What did Nicola Sturgeon say?

Speaking at the emergency briefing, the First Minister said: "For the children of key workers – such as nurses in our hospitals – schools will open as previously scheduled. They will also open as normal for the most vulnerable children.

"All teachers will also return to work as scheduled and as planned.

"For the majority of pupils, however, the holiday period is being extended until 11th January.

"Starting on that date, learning will be online until at least 18th January.

"After that, assuming we are confident we have the virus under control we will aim to reopen schools fully but at least until the 18 January, schools will go online only other than for the children of key workers and the most vulnerable."

Will we see any other changes to schooling?

No other changes to schooling have been confirmed but Scotland's opposition leaders have called for classes to be cancelled before Christmas as a precaution.

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie called for routing Covid-19 testing in schools.

He said: “The staggered school return is also a sensible approach, one we had already been advocating.

“But it must be accompanied by the regular, routine Covid-19 testing in schools which Parliament has voted for and which teachers are demanding, and clinically vulnerable staff must not be forced to put their lives on the line by coming into schools.

“Many people will be baffled that the Government is still insisting on opening schools for two days this week, and I would urge local authorities to close early to keep staff, pupils and communities safe."

General secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union, Larry Flanagan, welcomed the announcement of online learning from the start of the new term.

He added: “With a large number of schools already closed for the break, this late decision will once again create planning challenges for teachers but schools are much better prepared for remote learning than was the case in March.

“Given that the EIS has been calling for a ‘firebreak’ around the Christmas break, we view this announcement as being the correct one. It would make sense for those schools which are still open to move immediately to remote platforms.”