The First Minister has confirmed that the phased and gradual return to school for some pupils in East Kilbride and Strathaven will go ahead as planned.
Pre-school, primary one, two and three and a limited number of senior students who need to complete coursework will return from Monday, February 22 .
Nicola Sturgeon also said there will be an increased provision for vulnerable children - specifically those with the most significant additional support needs - where schools believe this is essential.
However, it is unlikely that there will be a wider return to classrooms before March 15.
Senior phase pupils, teachers and school staff will be able to get at-home lateral flow tests twice a week.
And senior secondary pupils will be required to observe two metre physical distancing while in school, and on school transport, in the period immediately after the return
But Nicola Sturgeon said she will not be announcing any immediate changes to the lockdown restrictions.
The core stay at home requirement will stay in place until at least the beginning of March and possibly for a further period beyond that.
However, Ms Sturgeon said a plan out of lockdown will be published next week.
She told the chamber: "We need to balance all the different factors and plan a gradual, phased return to as much normality as possible.
"That is what the government is now focused on doing.
"Because of the new, more infectious variant, our exit from lockdown is likely to be even more cautious than it was last summer.
"Probably for a while yet, 100 per cent normality is unlikely to be possible."
Ms Sturgeon also said 28 per cent of the adult population in Scotland has now been given a first dose of the vaccine.
And she confirmed the government has met its mid-February target to offer the first dose of the vaccine to everyone over 70 and everyone with an extreme clinical vulnerability.
She added: "That is extremely good news. However, expressing it in the way I have just done actually understates the scale of the achievement.
"Vaccination hasn’t simply been offered to everyone in these categories.
"Almost everyone in these groups has had the first dose of the vaccine. Uptake rates have been exceptional."
But Ms Sturgeon urged people to continue to follow the lockdown rules even if they have had the vaccine.
