In the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries in Siberia there were various types of educational institutions: parochial schools, foreign schools, progymnasiums, gymnasiums, district schools, diocesan schools, theological seminary and private schools. They were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Education, the Holy Synod and belonged to individuals.
In 1879, there were 272 educational institutions with 8315 students in the Tobolsk province, including 199 parochial schools with 4424 students. In terms of the number of educational institutions and the number of students, the Tobolsk province at that time surpassed the other provinces of Siberia.
Monasteries played a peculiar role in public education. Foreign schools were opened at the monasteries, where children of Khanty, Tatars and Russians studied. One of the oldest was the church-missionary school of the Kondinsky monastery. A foreign school was opened in the Ioanno-Vvedensky and Abalaksky monasteries. A school for girls was established at the Ioanno-Vvedensky Monastery.
Under the influence of the needs of the economy, special educational institutions appear. The training of qualified specialists in agriculture, industry, transport and the social sphere was carried out taking into account local specifics. Tobolsk veterinary-paramedic, Kurgan Forest, Sokolovskaya Lower agricultural, Samara model fishing school were opened.
An important event in the life of the Tobolsk province was the opening of a midwifery school in Tobolsk in 1878. In 1906, it was transformed into an obstetric-paramedic.
In 1913, there were 1,672 educational institutions in the Tobolsk province, in which 75,504 people studied.