The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative targeted at addressing the lack of qualified teachers in the country.
It offers financial support to eligible students who want to go after a teaching qualification in areas which are significant to the education and learning sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is intended to promote teaching to be a profession 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 certain 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**: Needs 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) at a acknowledged South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants must have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students will have to display satisfactory academic general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Should intend to educate in a very precedence subject area as identified from the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants have to reveal a commitment to teaching and an understanding of its value in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants shouldn't be older than thirty years once they apply.
*** Application Procedure For that Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On line Application**:
- Applications are submitted on line through the official Funza Lushaka bursary method (around the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Web site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window normally opens towards the tip on the academic yr and closes early the following calendar year (usually November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and evidence of university registration are expected.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The applying goes as a result of a range system based on the necessity for teachers in certain subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation and foods
- Guides and studying resources
- 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 here 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 here 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.