Evaluation schedules for children’s learning in mother tongue are being developed and resource teachers are observing classroom practice. The textbooks are being evaluated and revised. Results There have been many teething problems; the sudden departure of a supportive official; the lack of understanding and support among the middle level officials; liaison between different government departments to name just a few. However, the programme in several states is now beginning to be institutionalised. Cooperation between departments and developing structures to ensure the continuity of the programme are being put in place. The results in places where materials are available in the schools and teachers have received training, have been positive. Children are coming to school and staying there. They no longer run away or only stay until the completion of the midday meal. They are learning to read and write more quickly and sharing their learning with their parents at home. Parents are happy with their children’s progress in reading and writing and are enjoying being able to share in this learning. Parents themselves feel they could easily learn to read and write and are requesting adult learning classes. Parents feel that their own values and culture are not being ignored, but are being passed on to their children. Where only the textbooks are being used and traditional teaching methods are being maintain; where the reading materials are not being used, either because of lack of training, or the materials have not reached the classroom, the results are less than satisfactory. Children cannot read 1st and 2nd grade materials fluently, even though they are in MT (Bailey, 2007). This small study, which may not be representative of the whole programme, shows that real reading materials are essential for developing reading fluency. The MLE programmes in India are only just at the beginning, but even in a short time in many places there has already been positive progress and an improved situation for the tribal children. A further test of the programme will come when the children transfer into secondary school where the medium of instruction will be the second language. If, as the research suggests, it requires between 5 and 7 years to know the second language well enough in order to be able to use it as a medium of instruction, support right through pre- and primary and on into Secondary school will be essential for mother tongue speakers of minority languages to succeed in the current system. The issues of linguistic and cultural rights for minority language communities will be partially addressed through the inclusion of mother tongues in education. Other problematic social and economic issues may also then be eased. Long term research and evaluation is required in order to find more answers and improve the learning situation of the children of the 80 million tribal people of India.