The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative directed at addressing the lack of skilled teachers within the country.
It provides financial assistance to suitable students who wish to pursue a teaching qualification in places that happen to be critical for the education sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is created to promote teaching like a profession by funding students to study to get a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a particular lack of teachers, for example:
- Mathematics
- Physical Science
- Technology
- Languages (especially African languages)
- Early Childhood Development
- Foundation Phase Teaching
*** Who Qualifies For The Bursary?
To be eligible for the Funza Lushaka bursary, applicants must meet the following criteria:
1. **Citizenship**: Has to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Should plan to enroll or previously be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a identified South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants have to have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students must show satisfactory academic performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Will have to plan to educate in the priority subject area as discovered through the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants need to reveal a motivation to teaching and an comprehension of its great importance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants shouldn't be older than 30 years after they apply.
*** Application Procedure For the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the internet Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the internet through the official Funza Lushaka bursary system (around the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Web site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window generally opens towards the top of the academic calendar year and closes early the following year (typically November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are needed.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The appliance goes via a variety method based upon the need for teachers in specific subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and foods
- Publications and studying components
- A small stipend for other living costs
***Conditions for Working Back the Bursary:
Upon graduation, bursary recipients are required to:
1. **Teach in a Public School**: Recipients must work as teachers in a public school for the same number of years that they received the bursary. This is known as the "work-back" period.
2. **Service Placement**: The Department of Basic Education will place recipients in schools where their website skills are needed, often in rural or underserved areas.
3. **Failure to Fulfill the Obligation**: If the recipient fails to meet the work-back obligation (e.g., not teaching after graduation or leaving before completing the required service), they will be required to repay the bursary amount in full, with interest.
***Renewal of the Bursary:
The bursary is renewable annually, provided the student continues to meet the academic and other requirements. Recipients need to reapply every year, and the renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.