Education in West Garo Hills District made insufficient progress until the year 1911. The American Baptist Mission was in charge of propagating academics in the West Garo Hills, whose activities revolved around some regions which contained its Mission Stations.
Prior to 1911, a meagre quantity of 23 percent of people was literate. Till 1951, the field of education in this region failed to display proper development and growth. The 1951 Census has asserted that the local literacy rate in this Indian district was just 7.3% as opposed to the All-India average literacy rate of 16%. Post Indian independence, this rate started showing signs of growth.
According to the Population Census of 2011, West Garo Hills District boasted of a literacy rate of 67.58. 2011 census maintained the male literacy rate at 72.39 and 62.70 as the female literacy rate. The aggregate number of literates in West Garo Hills District was 3, 58,702 from which 1, 65,264 were females and 1, 93,438 were males.
The Tura Government College was the one and only college in the area of Tura, which was the district headquarters of West Garo Hills. This was till the year 1981. Presently, four colleges namely Durama College, Tura Government College, Abong Noga College and Don Bosco College are existent in this place. Don Bosco Teachers Training College and College of Teacher Education are the two educational institutes which provide Bed degree to students. Tura Law College offers LLB course which is a three-year programme. Normal Training School and DIET provide teachers training at Tura.
Schools at Tura are under the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE). Kendriya Vidyalaya and Tura Public School are the exceptions and they offer CBSE and ICSE courses. ITI and Regional Vocational Training Institute (RVTI) are the vocational institutes located at Tura. Physically disabled children are offered education by the Monford Centre for Education. MBA , post graduation courses in English, RDAP or Rural Development & Agricultural Production and education are provided by the Campus of North Eastern Hill University. Courses in the discipline of PHD degree are also conducted to the students of this academic institute. Tura also possesses a centre of the Indira Gandhi National Open University or IGNOU. Tura also shelters the Achick Theological College for Baptists and St. Peter`s Seminary for Roman Catholics which are theological colleges.
Vocational Educational Institutes in West Garo Hills District
West Garo Hills consists of Tura Polytechnic, College of Home Science, Industrial Training Institute, and Regional Vocational Training Institute for Women. RVTI for Women is known to conduct courses on several streams like beautician courses, tourism, dress making, computer operator and secretarial practise amongst some others. Subjects like Family Resource Management, Food Science and Nutrition, Human Development, Clothing and Textiles are the various disciplines on which courses are offered. The Industrial Training Institute provided technical courses to students who seek to become carpenters, motor mechanics, electricians, welders and fitters. Typing and stenography are also taught to the students of Industrial Training Institute.
Tura Polytechnic College is located in Shillong and is affiliated to the All India Council for Technical Education or AICTE. The diploma courses conducted by this institute are under the Meghalaya State Council for Technical Education or MSCTE, Shillong. Diploma courses in Food Processing and Preservation Engineering/ Technology, Medical Electronics and Computer Applications are also being offered by this institute.
West Garo Hills also comprises a Training-cum-production Centre which was set up on 1st March, 1976 which offered training to women belonging to the districts and imparted lessons to them in fields like weaving, knitting, tailoring and embroidery.
