My mother and father both had a grade eight education.
They grew up and married during the depression. And this is what they did.
My mother taught herself how to cook, to sew, to clean (and yes you do have to learn) to decorate, to make a dollar do the work of ten. To raise children, to can fruits and vegetables, to do laundry and to hold a finger food luncheon.
My father, went from a two horse hitch to a steam tractor, to a D2 Caterpiller tractor. He build his house, his barn, his implement shed, his work shop, he wired, he plumbed, he bartered, he traded, he learned to fill out government forms, to start a farm co-op.and to donate a tenth of his money to his church.
We ate well, we dressed well, we had manners and we treated our neighbors with respect..even when they didn't deserve it.
They did all of the things required of them and they did it all with a grade eight education.