Rising numbers of children are not able to speak properly, official figures indicate.

The Government's own figures also show it has failed to reduce the number of secondary school children with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties compared with last year.

Communication difficulties have been linked to poor academic achievement, substance abuse, increased depression and criminal activity.

Almost one in seven primary school children with special educational needs has trouble with speech - making it the most common special educational need. Experts say this figure is a reflection of a much wider problem and say seven per cent of all primary pupils struggle with language and communication skills.

The Government promised an extra £52 million for speech and language provision last summer after a major review conducted by John Bercow, the Tory MP who is now Speaker of the House of Commons, which criticised schools for neglecting the issue.

“Instead of being an optional add-on, communication skills should be at the heart of the primary curriculum... speech and listening have been elbowed out of schools for literacy and numeracy for too long,” the Bercow review said.

In 2004 - the first year the figures were compiled - just over a fifth (20.6 per cent) of all primary pupils with special educational needs had specific speech problems. The figures have been increasing year on year ever since.

Figures released by the Government today show that almost a quarter (24 per cent) of those primary pupils with special needs have problems with speech - a rise of 0.2 per cent since last year.

Campaigners blame the increases on cuts to speech and language therapy in schools and neglect of the issue in secondary schools. They say it is creating a dangerous timebomb for students who will leave school unable to string a sentence together.

Virginia Beardshaw, chief executive of iCan, a speech charity, said: “Children with statements [of special educational needs] are the tip of the iceberg. There are two to three children with specific speech and language needs in every primary school class.”

She said speech and language needs were still the most dominant of all special educational needs.

The money promised has not yet been provided to primary schools, Ms Beardshaw added.

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