The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative targeted at addressing the lack of qualified teachers from the country.
It provides financial support to qualified students who wish to go after a teaching qualification in locations which are critical for that education and learning sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is designed to boost educating being a occupation by funding university students to study for the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a certain scarcity of teachers, which include:
- 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 presently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a acknowledged 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 have to show satisfactory educational performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Must plan to teach in a priority subject area as discovered by the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants will have to show a motivation to teaching and an knowledge of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years when they apply.
*** Application Procedure With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On-line Application**:
- Applications are submitted online through the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary program (on the Department of Basic Education's focused website for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window typically opens towards the top in the academic calendar year and closes early the following year (normally November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and evidence of read more university registration are needed.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The applying goes through a selection approach based on the need for teachers in specific subjects and locations.
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks and studying products
- A little 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.