Minister of higher education and training Naledi Pandor will be conferred with a PhD in education at the University of Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon.

Pandor said she was referred to the institution (UP) by several friends. 

"The decision to study again was nerve-wracking but I knew I had to try. I was nervous and slightly embarrassed to be an older student but once I started, I did not want to stop. There were several really bright young students and they seemed so confident and relaxed. I sometimes felt I could not catch up to their confidence levels but I wanted to do this so [much]," she said.

Pandor said she chose UP because several of her friends told her that the education faculty at UP was a really good team with a powerful postgraduate programme. 

"I knew that with my busy schedule this was the institution I wanted to register at."

Pandor said she chose education because she has always had an interest in understanding it further. 

"I am a teacher by early training and I am fascinated by education. I learnt that there is a vast amount of absolutely fascinating education information that we need to tap into much more than we do today," she said. 

Pandor said being a student and a cabinet minister was demanding and she had to plan her work and study carefully. 

"I sacrificed a lot of things that I enjoy, including the time I spent with my family. I tried to balance but some areas were neglected," she said.