"All the learnin' my father paid for was a bit o' birch at one end and an alphabet at the other"

This quote by George Eliot is a reflection on the minimal education that was readily available to lots of people in the 19th century. It suggests that the only education that was available to many individuals was a basic one, consisting of a few fundamental lessons. The birch at one end is likely a referral to corporal penalty, which was often used to discipline children in schools at the time. The alphabet at the other end is likely a referral to the fundamental literacy skills that were taught in schools. This quote recommends that the education readily available to many individuals was restricted and fundamental, which the only genuine advantage of it was the ability to read and write. It likewise implies that the expense of education was high, as the father needed to spend for it. This quote is a reminder of the minimal educational opportunities offered to lots of people in the past, and how far we have actually come in terms of instructional gain access to and quality.