The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative directed at addressing the lack of capable teachers while in the country.
It provides monetary assistance to qualified students who wish to pursue a teaching qualification in places which might be critical to the education and learning sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is intended to boost teaching being a career 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 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**: Need to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Must plan to enroll or previously be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a recognized South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants have to have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students must present satisfactory academic general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Will have to intend to teach inside a priority subject area as recognized with the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants ought to show a motivation to educating and an knowledge of its relevance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants shouldn't be older than thirty years once they apply.
*** Application Process To the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the internet Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web Funza lushaka online application throughout the official Funza Lushaka bursary system (about the Department of Basic Education's focused Site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window usually opens towards the end of the academic calendar year and closes early the subsequent year (typically November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and evidence of university registration are essential.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes through a range approach based upon the need for teachers in specific subjects and .
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks and learning products
- 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.