The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative directed at addressing the shortage of experienced teachers from the country.
It provides financial aid to qualified students who need to go after a teaching qualification in locations which can be important to the schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is built to boost teaching for 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 specific scarcity of teachers, for instance:
- 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 intend to enroll or already be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a regarded South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants need to have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students need to show satisfactory educational performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Have to plan to teach inside a priority subject area as discovered because of the Department of Basic Funza Lushaka Bursary Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants should reveal a motivation to educating and an comprehension of its value in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than thirty years when they apply.
*** Application Process To the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On-line Application**:
- Applications are submitted online throughout the official Funza Lushaka bursary process (around the Department of Basic Education's focused website for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window normally opens towards the end from the academic yr and closes early the subsequent year (typically November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are necessary.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is given to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a range approach based upon the need for teachers in specific subjects and .
***Exactly what does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and foods
- Books and studying 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 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.