The role of Medium of Instruction or Language of Learning and Teaching has not received sufficient attention as a factor denying meaningful access to education in South Africa. Yet the majority of under-performing learners are also children who learn in a language that is not their mother-tongue. This research aims to assess how recent language policies have changed the linguistic practices of schools and how this impacts on "meaningful" access (understood as learners' access to the curriculum and therefore broad content knowledge). Interviews and open discussions were conducted with principals, teachers and parents from various township schools located in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng to illustrate the problems. Two appendixes are included: (1) Location of interviews with school principals and staff; and (2) CREATE's Zones of Exclusion. (Contains 47 footnotes.)