This report from the Center for Global Development highlights that despite rising school access in low- and middle-income countries, learning outcomes remain poor, prompting a shift toward foundational literacy and numeracy. This study uses longitudinal data from Indonesia to link early-grade skills to adult earnings, finding that a one standard deviation increase in foundational skills correlates with an 11% rise in income. The effect is only partly explained by completed schooling and suggests strong economic returns on early education investment.