Crops thrive, animals multiply, and those removed from hunting and gathering, nomadism, eventually build schools so their children can gain distance from the religions that perverted their parents. It is not that easy, nor accurate, only something endemic to prolonged bouts of human settlement, which results in social stratification, chiefdomships like those that characterize parts of pre-contact Pacific Northwest coast life since time immemorial, where, according to the archaeological record, power was centralized, rights to resources unevenly distributed, and people kept slaves, if they weren't slaves themselves.
A free, taxpayer-supported public education is a relatively recent phenomenon. Unfortunately there remain impediments to those eligible, making access the bigger question. Access is not simply having a school in your neighbourhood, but a full stomach to bring to it, eight hours sleep the night before, clothing that keeps you warm on cold days, clothing that won't have you laughed at by your classmates. When a classroom door is unlocked, it is left open until the room fills up, then it is closed for the duration of the class, hallways being cavernous places where a janitor's sneeze can sound like a gunshot. If someone should knock on a door during class time, all a teacher needs to know before opening it can be accessed through 2"x30" window.
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