The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the shortage of skilled teachers from the country.
It offers monetary aid to qualified students who wish to pursue a teaching qualification in areas that happen to be important for that schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is meant to promote teaching like a career by funding college 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 instance:
- 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**: Needs to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Must plan to enroll or presently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a identified South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants need to have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students should clearly show satisfactory educational general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Need to plan to educate within a precedence subject area as discovered through the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants should display a commitment to educating and an knowledge of its relevance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than thirty years after they apply.
*** Application Process With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On-line Application**:
- Applications are submitted on-line with the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (on the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Internet site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window commonly opens towards the tip of the academic 12 months and closes early the subsequent calendar year (generally November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and evidence of university registration are expected.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes through a selection method based upon the need for teachers in specific subjects and .
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the Funza following expenses:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation and foods
- Publications and learning components
- A little 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 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.