The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative aimed toward addressing the shortage of certified teachers in the country.
It offers economic guidance to eligible students who need to pursue a teaching qualification in places that happen to be vital with the education sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is built to boost teaching being a career by funding university students to study to get a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a certain lack of teachers, such as:
- 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**: Should plan to enroll or presently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a regarded South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants must have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students must show satisfactory educational performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Should intend to educate in the priority subject area as recognized from the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants Funza Lushaka Bursary ought to reveal a motivation to teaching and an understanding of its value in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than thirty years when they apply.
*** Application Process To the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the net Application**:
- Applications are submitted online with the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (to the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Internet site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window ordinarily opens towards the top of the academic yr and closes early the following calendar year (usually November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and proof of university registration are needed.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is given to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a selection website procedure based upon the necessity for teachers in particular subjects and locations.
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and foods
- Publications and learning supplies
- A small 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 here 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.