Education plays a major role in To Kill A Mockingbird it is a key ingredient in the development of Jem and Scout as children and as human beings and ultimately it affects the county of Maycomb as a whole. In this story education is portrayed on two levels. Basic education and spiritual or character developing education, the latter being more prominent in this novel.
Jem and Scout learn about the world and about arithmetic and simple but important things to help them throughout life, but the children have a greater capacity for knowledge, a greater need for learning of more substance and deeper meaning. Generally school is to shallow for Jem and Scout, they are simply put, too intelligent for the simplicity of learning in the school environment. It is assumable that they have inherited this great intelligence from their father Atticus. Atticus himself educates the children on the deeper aspects of learning, the lessons of life, and he encourages their creativity and questioning of the world. Atticus guides the children as best as he can and teaches them as well as he can to make them better people. When Jem or Scout have a question on politics or a word they don't understand, Atticus gives them a thorough and enlightening answer that sparks more imagination and questioning thoughts in the children.
Scout is very bright and very independent in her views about the world and especially the Maycomb society. She questions the wrongs and indecencies of the everyday affairs of Maycomb and its inhabitants. Atticus responds to her questions as honestly as he possibly can and doesn't keep from her any important detail because he might think she can't handle it. Atticus is straightforward when answering Scout's questions and is therefore enriching her existence by letting her make her own judgment and formulate a view on the world. Scout is smart enough to see what is wrong in the world and independent enough to one day take action and make a change to the wrongs of modern society (in this time period) and her views are already powerful enough that they affect the town as a whole. It seems that Scout,by the end of the novel, has taught everyone in the town something important about themselves and their way of life.
Jem is old enough to be able to understand things and he, later on in the story, becomes a second mentor for Scout, other than Atticus. His age and understanding portrays and makes visible the affect of Atticus's teaching on him and the development of his wisdom. What Jem and Scout learn in this novel is and will most likely affect the future of Maycomb.
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