One in seven pupils in English Primary schools do not speak English as their first language it has emerged.
11% of pupils did not speak English as their first language in 1997 - just before Labour won the General Election in May of that year. Eleven years later, the figure is put at over 14% and it may be up to 21.5%.
In London (the entire 32 London Borough area covering a total population area of 7.4 million people not including illegal immigrants) 54% of all school pupils (primary and secondary) do not speak English as their first language.
Nick Ferrari, presenter on London's independent news radio station LBC FM, said to a listener telephoning at 7.15 am "Surely these figures give reason for a pause for thought."
In one school in the east London Borough of Newham pupils speak 40 languages, Mr. Ferrari reported.
He also said of the new statistics about the number of school pupils in England who do not speak English "25% of pupils of Chinese origin in English schools are singled out as being gifted compared to 14% of whites."
More on this at:
English not first language for 800,000 children - Telegraph