Minister Naledi Pandor earns doctorate in education

MINISTER of Higher Education and Training Naledi Pandor has worked hard to live up to her portfolio, graduating with a PhD from the University of Pretoria yesterday.

Around 3pm her title changed to “Dr” when she was awarded her doctorate during the Faculty of Education’s ceremony.

This was the latest addition to her academic qualifications. Pandor holds a Master’s degree in education policy and practice in multiracial societies, and a Master’s in linguistics from the applied linguistics perspective.

Pandor’s thesis, “The contested meaning of transformation in higher education in post-apartheid South Africa”, received acclaim from international examiners.

“I was told that the Education Faculty at UP was a really good team with powerful postgraduate support.

“I knew that given my schedule I should be registered at an institution with a good PhD programme. Several friends referred me to UP,” Pandor said.

She said the decision to study again was nerve-racking, but she but knew she had to try.

“I was nervous and slightly embarrassed, as I am an older student, but once I started, I didn’t want to stop.

“There were several really bright young students and they seemed so confident and relaxed; sometimes I felt I couldn’t catch up to their confidence levels, but I wanted to do this, so I worked on. I’m a teacher by early training and fascinated by education.”

Her study investigates the ongoing persistent concern with transformation, and the various meanings intended by users of the concept when used with regard to higher education in post-apartheid South Africa.

The research found that since 1994 there had been a range of initiatives by the new democratic government directed at reversing the legacies of apartheid in higher education.

Professor Fazal Rizvi at the University of Melbourne, Australia described Pandor’s work as the “most insightful thesis which I enjoyed reading very much”.

“It led me to obtain a more nuanced understanding of South African higher education and consider theoretical issues that I have not previously encountered. I have no doubt once the thesis is passed and deposited it will be widely consulted and cited.”

Pandor’s supervisor, Professor Chika Sehoole, dean of the Faculty of Education, said: “She came to defend her proposal, queuing with other students outside the room, waiting for her turn.

“She managed to defend her proposal in the first year of her studies, which was a remarkable achievement, given her tight schedule.”

UP vice-chancellor and principal Professor Tawana Kupe said Pandor was living proof of the government’s concept of continuous, lifelong learning.