One tribal community, speaking the same dialect, may cross, using the example of the Koya, three state borders which means if the policy of scripting local languages in state scripts means that this one language would be scripted in three scripts: Devanagiri, Oriya and Telugu. While this may be easiest for the state and for further education within the state, the policy further divides the community. 6.3 Tribal communities According to the Anthropological Survey of India (ASI), there are 623 tribal communities, with a total population of 84.3 million. This constitutes 8.2% of the total population (1028.6 million) (Census of India, 2001). The majority of these 80 million people live in rural and economically underdeveloped areas. 6.4 Policy support This work is supported by Government of India statements. For example, the Indian Constitution states that: ‘it shall be the endeavour of every state and of every local authority within the state to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups’. (Article 350A) The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) in the National Curriculum Framework, 2005 (NCF) makes it clear that language and culture are important to children’s learning in the following statements: a) Concerning language:  “Home language(s) should be the medium of instruction in school”  “It is imperative that we honour the child’s home language(s)”  “Bilingualism and multilingualism confer definite cognitive advantages”  “…evolving strategies that use the multilingual classroom as a resource”  “Oracy and literacy will be tools for learning and for developing higher order communicative skills and critical thinking” b) Concerning local culture and environment:  “Child centred pedagogy means giving primacy to children’s experiences, their voices and their active participation.” (13)  “Children will only learn in an atmosphere where they feel valued.” (14)  Knowledge (content of the curriculum) needs to be relevant, interesting and meaningful.  “Children’s community and local environment form the primary content in which learning takes place.” (30) 7. MLE programmes