Many children in low- and middle-income countries are not receiving adequate education, despite attending school. This dissertation contributes to the understanding of how education policies affect student academic performance by investigating this issue in the context of Indonesia. Indonesia has achieved near universal enrollment up to grade 9, but not even a third of grade 9 students is proficient in reading and mathematics according to international student assessments. The dissertation provides evaluations of various policies that were implemented to enhance the quality and fairness of the Indonesian education system. The results indicate that achieving equitable quality education is still a challenge for Indonesia, despite massive investments in its education system.