The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative targeted at addressing the scarcity of competent teachers from the country.
It provides financial guidance to eligible students who would like to go after a teaching qualification in places which can be important for the schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is built to boost educating to be a career by funding university students to study for a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a specific shortage 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**: Should 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) in a acknowledged South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants should have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students will have to clearly show satisfactory educational general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Ought to intend to teach inside a precedence subject area as recognized by the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants have to show a determination to teaching and an idea of its great importance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years after they apply.
*** Application Process read more With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the net Application**:
- Applications are submitted on-line from the official Funza Lushaka bursary program (on the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Web-site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window normally opens towards the top from the academic 12 months and closes here early the subsequent year (typically November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and evidence of university registration are demanded.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is provided to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes by way of a range process based upon the necessity for teachers in particular subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and meals
- Guides and studying products
- A little more info 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.