In the proposed article, the author considered a number of issues that did not find due attention in the study of the past of one of the largest colonies of Kaiser's Germany, German East Africa. The topic of the development of educational institutions in the colonial possessions of Germany for European settlers in the East African colony of Germany is a new direction in the study of the colonial past of this largest colony of Germany. It should be noted that the author, on the basis of archival materials, as well as materials of the periodical press, tried to reveal the main directions in the activities of the colonial authorities of the colony, as well as the central colonial institutions of Kaiser Germany in organizing schools for children of European immigrants. As a result of familiarization with the archival materials of the central federal archive of Germany, a certain picture emerges in terms of the ambiguous approach of colonial circles, as well as deputies of the Reichstag to solving the issue of creating schools for children of European immigrants. In addition, a major obstacle in the development of school education in East Africa for European children was the purely financial side of the issue.