g) Fragmented society The fear of causing division is also a factor in the choice of language for education, but it has been suggested (See Waiko 1997) that NOT using indigenous languages will cause more unrest within a nation and prevent all groups from contributing to society. 5. Educational, linguistic and cultural rights What, then, needs to be done to ensure children’s right to a quality education? And what assurance can be given that the language and cultural rights of tribal/indigenous communities are being addressed by the education system? The kind of education programmes which should be adopted needs to be decided. Based on the current research and education theory, Mother Tongue first multilingual education programmes, where the language and culture of the child forms the core of the curriculum, could relieve some of the current difficulties experience by children of minority language communities. 5.1 What shape should the programmes take? There are various models of bilingual and multilingual education which research and experience would support as best practice (Skutnab Kangas ?) and there are ideal conditions for implementation, but the reality rarely offers such an environment and the practice may not consistently equate with the theory. However, it is essential that children are given the best educational experience possible based on sound educational theory and practice. Some of these are outlined below: a) Begin where a child is Learning to read and write is easier in a familiar language and concepts are better understood through MT. Children learn best in a language they speak and understand well; they need to learn in a language they think in. Skills and concepts can be easily transferred to other languages. Telling the story of a tamarind tree under a tamarind tree Mr Ramanaiah, Bhadrahamalam, AP