Tech industry backs government fund for teacher ICT training

£2m fund set aside to provide 16,000 educators with skills required to teach programming

Technology firms including Facebook and Microsoft have welcomed government plans to provide funding for improving the teaching of computer science in schools.

Education minister Elizabeth Truss announced £2m will be set aside to enable the British Computer Society (BCS) to recruit 400 top computer science teachers to pass on their knowledge to other education professionals over the next two years.

Each expert will share their insight with 40 schools, providing 16,000 primary and secondary schools with a member of staff able to teach subjects including programming as part of the new ICT curriculum.

"The new computing curriculum will mean pupils have a real understanding of how digital technologies work, allowing them to create new technologies rather than being passive consumers of them," said Truss.

"This brings exciting challenges for computing teachers - we are raising our expectations of the subject knowledge they should have, including how computers work, programming and coding.

"These master teachers will spread good practice, knowledge and expertise throughout schools," she added.

Truss made the announcement at an event co-hosted by Facebook and the Gates Foundation.

"It's vital for young people to receive the best digital education possible," said Simon Milner, director of policy for Facebook UK and Ireland.

Simon Peyton-Jones, principal researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge, added: "As chairman of the CAS [Computing at School] working group, I am absolutely delighted to see the DfE putting substantial support into equipping our excellent ICT teachers to deliver computer science, as part of the new computing curriculum."

Government skills champion and co-author of the Next Gen Skills Report Ian Livingstone also welcomed the investment.

"This is a very important step to fast-forward the teaching of essential skills for the digital world in which today's children live, to enable them to create technology rather than being simply passive users of it," he said.

"Digital manufacturing and services are becoming main drivers of the UK economy."

Livingstone recently took part in a Computing ICT education roundtable, which saw a panel of thought leaders discuss what the industry expects of ICT skills in school leavers.