ISLAMABAD, March 3: The Ministry of Education has approved the appointment of 490 English teachers to be posted in primary schools of Islamabad Capital Territory, Federal Education Minister Lt-Gen (retired) Javed Ashraf Qazi said.

The minister was speaking as chief guest at the presidential award 2003-04 distribution ceremony here at the national library auditorium on Thursday. These teachers would be getting double salary package (Rs10,000) as compared to their counterparts.

The appointment of 490 teachers, the minister said, was part of the ministry's decision of declaring English as compulsory subject from class I to V in Urdu medium schools of the ICT.

Speaking to the award winners, the minister said the government was pursuing practical policies in the education sector, which were demand driven. He said present education set-up needed to be revamped, as the country was facing acute shortage of skilled and technical manpower.

The resources for the establishment of polytechnic institutes at district level would be secured in the coming budget, he added. The minister further maintained that his policies had been wrongly viewed by a section of religio-political leaders, having narrow vision and approach.

The minister reiterated that he was least bothered about the protest by Islami Jamiat Talaba, which had been planted by the so-called patriotic religious leadership.

He said Aga Khan Examination Board had been politicized by the MMA for their vested interests as they (MMA) never wanted that half of country's illiterate nation became educated and faced the challenges of the modern era.