Educational development has proceeded at a different pace and under different planning regimes in India, China, and Indonesia. This paper provides an overview of the role of education in their recent development—in particular their ability to capitalise on favourable trends in dependency ratios—and presents some key issues facing education planners and policy hurdles to overcome in further improving their level and quality of human capital. Common findings and useful strategies are highlighted in the conclusion, as well as the importance of seizing the opportunity of low dependency ratios to effect policies that will help develop human capital.