Colonial education in Tanganyika is described as pyramidal because it:

1. A pyramid is wide at the base and narrow at the top. 2. Colonial schooling admitted a broad intake at the lowest level. 3. At each stage above, the number of places fell sharply, so most pupils were filtered out. 4. Only a small elite reached secondary and higher education, which is the narrow apex. 5. The system was also segregative, allocating schooling by race, which is a separate criticism from its pyramidal shape. _Source: NECTA ACSEE 2023 History 112/1, Question 1: Political and Economic Development in Tanzania_