The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative aimed at addressing the scarcity of experienced teachers while in the country.
It offers financial help to qualified students who prefer to go after a teaching qualification in places which might be important with the education and learning sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is designed to promote educating to be a career by funding university students to study for any Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a certain scarcity of teachers, like:
- 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**: Has 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) at a regarded South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants should have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students must clearly show satisfactory academic performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Will have to intend to educate inside a precedence subject area as identified because of the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants ought here to show a motivation to educating and an knowledge of its great importance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years after they apply.
*** Application Procedure For the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the web Application**:
- Applications are submitted online with the official Funza Lushaka bursary process (on the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Web site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window normally opens towards the end of the academic calendar year and closes early the next year (usually November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are necessary.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes by way of a selection system dependant on the necessity for teachers in specific subjects and locations.
***Exactly what does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and foods
- Books and learning resources
- A little stipend for other living expenses
***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.