The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative aimed toward addressing the lack of competent teachers while in the country.
It provides financial assistance to eligible students who want to pursue a teaching qualification in areas that happen to be crucial to the education sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is made to promote educating like a profession 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 selected scarcity 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**: Needs to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Must plan to enroll or currently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a recognized South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants must have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students have to display satisfactory academic overall performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Will have to intend to teach in the precedence subject area as recognized from the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants ought to reveal a commitment to teaching and an knowledge of its relevance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than thirty years after they apply.
*** Application Procedure For that Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the internet Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web from the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (on the Department of Basic Education's focused Site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window generally opens towards the tip in the more info academic year and closes early the following calendar year (commonly 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 applying goes through a selection procedure based upon the necessity for teachers in particular subjects and .
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks and learning products
- 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 more info 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 here other requirements. Recipients need to reapply every year, and the renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.