Answer: to portray Huck’s father as uneducated and ignorant.
In this excerpt, Twain most likely uses humour to highlight the absurdity of the father's sentiment. This is done in order to portray Huck's father as uneducated and ignorant. The father tells Huck that he does not see the importance of school. Moreover, he thinks school is damaging because it will teach Huck to feel superior to his dad, who is unlikely to have attended school.
At the end of The Censors, Juan becomes ill, which eventually leads to his death. The factors leading up to his illness are somewhat shrouded in mystery, however.