The money will range from £7,000 to around £200,000 each, depending on the number of trainees they have. The initiative covers accredited providers of both initial teacher training (ITT) and the graduate teacher programme(GTP).

The TTA intends that the money should be spent on buying laptops, interactive whiteboards, digital projectors and other equipment to ensure that trainees will be fully familiar with the ICT they will encounter in teaching and school management.

The initiative recognises that newly qualified teachers (QTP) are often given the task of supporting the use of ICT in schools and say they would like more training in knowledge, skills and understanding to use ICT in their subject teaching.

Chris Dee, TTA Director of Teacher Training Support, said:

'ICT is making a huge difference in schools, where whiteboards and other equipment are commonly used to help bring the best out of pupils. We now see primary pupils using video conferencing and graphics presentations, quite complex research and design work undertaken at secondary level, and schools using chat rooms and e-mails as part of their contact with parents.

'Several Government initiatives, including the use of 'National Lottery' money in training teachers, have enabled schools to improve their equipment and knowledge, but there have been only limited incentives and support for teacher trainers.

'This additional funding will help providers to improve their ICT provision, and support them in helping trainees to achieve the new standards for qualified teacher status introduced last september. That can only help to raise standards in the classroom.'

Notes to editors

This press release applies to England only.

The 174 different training providers, whose places range from range in size from ten places a year in school based training to more than 1,400 in a single university, are being notified about the money they can receive.

More than 31,000 people are starting initial teacher training (ITT) during the current academic year - the highest number for more than 12 years. A further 18,600 people are completing courses, and 4,350 are training on employment-based routes, including the graduate teacher programme.

In the TTA's annual survey of newly qualified teachers (NQT) only 55 per cent rated as 'good' or 'very good' their training in knowledge, skills and understanding to use ICT in their subject teaching. Details of the survey are available on the TTA's website at http://www.canteach.gov.uk/support/nqtsurvey/index.htm

More than 390,000 qualified teachers have been given ICT training in England funded by the national lottery through the new opportunities fund.

The teacher training agency (ITT) was established under the Education Act 1994. Its purpose is to raise standards in schools by attracting able and committed people into teaching and by improving the quality of teacher training.

Media enquiries

TTA Press Office Tel: 020 7023 8080
Out of hours: 07771 934629
e-mail: pressoffice@teach-tta.gov.uk

General TTA enquiries

020 7925 3700

Prospective applicants to initial teacher training should visit the TTA website or contact the teaching information line (tel: 0845 600 0991).