The present

       There are 32 educational institutions in the region: 2 high schools, 3 secondary schools, 1 secondary school for adults, 10 basic schools, 1 special boarding school, 9 kinder gardens, 2 schools - kinder gardens, 1 primary  school, 2 art schools. Also there is a pedagogical – psychological service.

       Telšiai county established  Children’s home and School of agriculture and business.

       4885 schoolchildren attend the schools, 1099 childs - kinder gardens, 710 schoolchildren - insitutions of extra-curriculum educations.

       The activity of the educational insitutions is co-ordinated the department of education.

History

       First schools in the present territory of the region were established in the 16th  century. In 1644 a parish school  was established  in Žemaičių Kalvarija. Later S.Daukantas and M.Valančius learned at this school. The same year a school was opened in Kuliai, in 1765 – in Alsėdžiai, in 1865 – in Gintališkė. During the period of prohibition of press a parish school worked in Plungė (opened in 1806). Subjects were taught in Russian.  The main  center of culture in Plungė was the manor of Oginskis and the church.

       In 1918-1919 new schools were established with the help of Plungė priest canon J.Senkus. In Liepų street (now it is “Laisvės alėja”) a high school was established. Edvardas Gedgaudas was its  first priciple.  When the town became larger and there were more pupils in it, in 1921 the high school moved into the palace of Oginskis. On the first floor there was a school of agriculture named under M.Valančius, on the first floor – private “Saulės“ high school. In 1928 it was re-organized into the state school. The same year the ministry decided to re-organize the high school into the basic school and  to establish a seminary for teachers on the basis of  the high school .

      These days there was a  state Lithuanian basic school, a private Jewish basic school and a private basic school of monks “kapucinai”. The latter  was connected to the state basic school in 1936-1937 school year. The joint school was situated in the premises of the monastery of “kapucinai”. Later it was re-organized into the high school and was open till the WWII.

       In 1961 Plungė secondary school No.1 (now it is Academic Adolfas Jucys’ basic school) moved into the restored palace of Oginskis and was there till 1966 . Then it moved into a new building. Then building-trade technicum was established in the former palace.

       During the recent 50 years the number of schoolchildren has been changing. The number increased till 1970 and till 1990 it dereased.In 1990 there were 19 primary, 13 incompleted secondary, 12 secondary schools in Plungė region (the present territories of the municipalities of Rietavas and Plungė). 7800 children attended these schools.

       The first kinder - garden is linked with the name and activity of duchess M.Oginskienė. She established and maintained the shelter for orphans. Gifted children were let to learn further when they grew up. After the WWII the first pre-school insitution was opened in 1945, the head of it was A. Gūžienė.The nursery worked till 1962 and it belonged to the hospital. Later the nursery expanded and was given to the department of education. In the ninetieth a lot of kinder- gardens were built.  In 1990 there were 35 pre-school institutions in Plungė region, more than 2800 children attended them.