What role does education play in Jane Eyre?

Many people have argued that Jane Eyre is a Bildungsroman, or novel of education. Education is a major theme in the novel -- Jane is first a student at Lowood, then an instructor there, then a governess at Thornfield, then a schoolmaster at a school for working class children. One of Bronte's points is that men and women are equals intellectually, and advocates for education for women. But aside from that, the novel is also about Jane's education about herself. This coming into self knowledge is intertwined with her formal education.

Take, for example, Jane's experience at Lowood. When Mr Brocklehurst introduces her to the school as a "liar" and tells the other students to shun her, this is but one example of many of the ritual shaming that is confused for discipline at the school (Helen Burns is also a victim of this shaming, as is Miss Temple, who must stand by while Jane is humiliated and offer tacit approval). In many ways, the harshness of the school prevents learning, rather than encourages it -- sometimes quite literally, when the students begin to die. However, despite this, Jane still finds her learning community at Lowood -- in Miss Temple and Helen -- and the lessons she learns from them, about forgiveness, kindness, and faith shape her for the rest of the novel. Most importantly, what she learns from them is some measure of self respect.

This self respect carries over to her dealings with Mr Rochester, and becomes a sticking point in her relationship with St John. Rochester recognizes Jane as his intellectual equal; St John does not. Jane's final rejection of St John for Rochester is in part the result of her realization that she can only be truly happy with someone who values her whole self, and who sees her as true equal, as opposed to someone who is merely useful. In this way, Jane Eyre argues that the basis for any right love relationship is equality and mutual respect, rather than obedience and dependence.

I think, for Bronte, education was the path for women to achieve that sort of equality. Jane finds her work in the schoolhouse fulfilling because she has the opportunity to teach her students the same lessons about self respect. This need to serve is exploited by St John when he pressures Jane to come with him to India. Jane is able to reject him because she realizes that St John does not love her and only values her intellectual talents insofar as they are useful in helping him achieve his goals. St John claims that his goals are, in fact, God's goals, and that Jane, in obeying him, is obeying God. But Jane ultimately is able to resist that logic. St John may be "a good man," as Jane and his sisters keep saying, but the lesson Jane learns is that his "goodness" and suitability as a husband are two different things. This is another case in which the personal moral truth Jane has learned -- that women are equal to men -- trumps conventional (masculine) morality.