The expansion of elementary education and early childhood education in India has often not been matched by a similar concern for the quality of teaching and learning. This has resulted in millions of students who do not attend school regularly or drop out altogether, and unacceptably low levels of learning.

The main goal of the CLR is to improve the quality of early childhood care and development and early childhood education, elementary education and the teaching of English that less privileged children and students receive in urban and rural India.