The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the lack of capable teachers during the country.
It offers monetary support to qualified students who desire to go after a teaching qualification in places which might be essential to the education sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is designed to encourage educating like a career by funding college students to study for the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a certain lack 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**: Should be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Should plan to enroll or currently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a regarded South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants need to have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students will have to show satisfactory academic efficiency.
4. **Field of Study**: Have to intend to teach inside a precedence subject area as recognized from the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants need to exhibit a motivation to educating and an idea of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years when they apply.
*** Application Process With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the web Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web from the official Funza Lushaka bursary system (over here the Department of Basic Education's focused Web page for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window normally opens towards the end of the academic 12 months and closes early the subsequent calendar year (commonly November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and proof of university registration are required.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a range system dependant on the need for teachers in certain subjects and areas.
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and foods
- Books and studying resources
- A small stipend for other living expenses
***Conditions check here 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 click here every year, and the renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.