The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative geared toward addressing the shortage of qualified teachers while in the country.
It offers financial aid to qualified students who want to go after a teaching qualification in locations which can be vital to the schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is intended to promote teaching as a occupation by funding students to study for a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a specific shortage 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**: Have 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 should have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students will have to show satisfactory academic general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Have to intend to educate within a precedence subject area as discovered with the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants have to reveal a determination to teaching and an knowledge of its worth in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years once they apply.
*** Application Procedure With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the internet Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web through the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (to the Department of more info Basic Education's focused Web-site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window usually opens towards the end in the academic 12 months and closes early the next calendar year (ordinarily November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and evidence of university registration are required.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is given to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes through a selection process based upon the necessity for teachers in particular subjects and locations.
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition service fees
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks 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 Funza Lushaka application 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 Funza Lushaka Bursary meet the academic and other requirements. Recipients need to reapply every year, and the renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.