I taught touch-typing for many years on various secretarial courses, including the business and communications GCSE. It made a difference to lessons because pupils completed practical exercises on the computer more quickly and confidently and we finished the syllabus in record time.
I now teach ICT at KS3 and find it frustrating that the curriculum does not include touch-typing as a necessary skill.
I taught my own children to type when they were primary school-age and they have found it invaluable, particularly when typing up coursework. I have been considering teaching my Year 7 groups to type if my school is agreeable, but realistically it would be more beneficial to the pupils to learn the skill in primary school before bad habits using a keyboard have been adopted.
Amanda Vernon Lancashire