Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas has said that the provincial government has changed criteria to promote students to the next grades only on an annual exams basis and now half of the passing criteria will be on the basis of homework. Addressing a press conference on Monday soon after news broke that schools and educational institutions across Pakistan will reopen in three phases from January 18, Murad Raas said that promotion to the next grade will be decided on the basis of 50 percent homework. He said that the coronavirus pandemic has put students at a lot of loss and set them back as far as education is concerned. He said that coronavirus SOPs will be implemented fully, adding: “Fifty percent of the students will be told to come on one day and the rest on another day.” He further said that this policy will remain intact till coronavirus vaccines are available.