The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the lack of qualified teachers in the country.
It offers financial assistance to qualified students who would like to pursue a teaching qualification in places which have been crucial to the education and learning sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is meant to encourage teaching as a occupation by funding college students to study for any Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a certain shortage 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**: Need to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Must intend to enroll or currently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a recognized South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants must have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students ought to clearly show satisfactory educational general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Ought to intend to teach in a precedence subject area as recognized through the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants ought to display a dedication to educating and an comprehension of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants shouldn't be older than 30 years when they apply.
*** Application Procedure With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On line Application**:
- Applications are submitted on line in the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary process (about the Department of Basic Education's dedicated website for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window generally opens towards the tip of the academic read more calendar year and closes early the next year (commonly November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are required.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is provided to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The appliance goes via a selection process according to the necessity for teachers in certain subjects and .
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition service fees
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks and learning components
- A small stipend for other living expenditures
***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.