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Education minister Elizabeth Truss has announced more than £2million of funding so the best computing teachers can help train thousands more to teach the new curriculum 25/04/2013

The funding will allow BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) , to recruit 400 master teachers in computer science over the next two years.

Each master teacher will pass on their skills and subject knowledge to 40 schools. This will mean that computing teachers in 16,000 primary and secondary schools will be in a position to deliver the computer science element of the new computing curriculum and the new computer science GCSE.

Truss made the announcement at an event co-hosted by Facebook and the Gates Foundation, the charitable organisation run by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda.

She said, 'Computer science is a rigorous, fascinating and intellectually challenging subject. 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.

'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.'

BCS, Facebook and Microsoft all welcomed the news about the funding, stressing the importance of computer and digital skills for young people.

Simon Milner, director of policy in the UK and Ireland for Facebook, said, 'The UK's digital industries offer awesome opportunities for young people, and it's important that schools and educational institutions receive the necessary backing to enable pupils to grasp those opportunities.'