The Intellectual Needs Society J.K Nyerere

Below is excerpt from Nyerere speech ‘The Intellectual Needs Society’ delivered at the University of Liberia, Monrovia, 29th February, 1969

“There is no doubt, of course, that the knowledge which has been acquired at schools and higher educational institutions can be used almost exclusively for personal gain, with benefit to the society being a mere by-product. Indeed, it is sometimes seems that we have organized our societies in this basis, as the temptation of highest wages often connected with the least socially useful occupations. But even in the most needed positions, highly educated and skilled people can at present often abuse their trust if they mind to do so……..Instead of accepting that they have debt of service to repay, these individuals demand greater and greater differentials between them and the unskilled labourer, on the grounds they they are ‘key workers’ – that without an engineer no bridge can be built etc….. But how far are we educated people going to take demand for higher a higher reward, which we have already established? It is true that the bridge cannot be built without the engineer; but it cannot be built without the labourers either”