A massive drive to boost the teaching of the new computer curriculum in primary schools is to be made possible by a £3.6 million funding drive, with cash coming from technology giants like Google and O2.

In a recent speech at the annual BETT conference in London, education secretary Nicky Morgan announced that experts from these companies will train teachers to get their head around the new curriculum, as well as provide them with the resources needed to effectively teach digital skills to children.

"We know a significant number of jobs in the future will be in the tech industry, which is why we are committed to supporting tech companies to connect with our schools - preparing young people to succeed in the global race," she told delegates at the conference.

"Increasing the focus on subjects like computing is a key part of our plan for education - which is why we are investing in the latest training and support so our teachers are fully prepared to plan, teach and assess the new computing curriculum."

The Department for Education said that introducing children to computing and coding at primary school level is part of the coalition government's strategy to equip youngsters with the skills needed to succeed in the modern world, which is increasingly becoming technology rich and technology focused.

It is also essential in ensuring that they experience a well-rounded education, as, for example, computing skills are increasingly seen as being core attributes. Though not on a par with subjects like maths, science and English, being computer-literate is nevertheless vital.

"More than four million primary school children have already received lessons through the new curriculum, which puts much more emphasis on experience of programming and understanding the fundamental principles of computer science," the DfE said in a press release.