The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative aimed at addressing the lack of qualified teachers while in the country.
It offers monetary help to qualified students who want to go after a teaching qualification in areas which have been essential for the schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is designed to boost educating as a career 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 selected lack of teachers, including:
- 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**: Must be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Must plan to enroll or currently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a acknowledged South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants should have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students should display satisfactory educational performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Ought to intend to educate within a priority subject area as recognized from the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants ought to demonstrate a motivation to teaching and an comprehension of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than thirty years after they apply.
*** Application Process To the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On line Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web in the official Funza Lushaka bursary process (about the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Internet site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window generally opens towards the tip with the academic 12 months and closes early the next calendar year (commonly November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are essential.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes by a selection process based upon the need for teachers in specific subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation and meals
- Textbooks and learning products
- 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 read more 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 more info reapply every year, and the renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.