The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative geared toward addressing the lack of qualified teachers within the country.
It provides monetary guidance to suitable students who wish to go after a teaching qualification in locations which are crucial for the education sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is meant to boost teaching as being a career by funding college students to study to get a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a particular 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 intend to enroll or previously be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a identified South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants have to have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students must clearly show satisfactory educational efficiency.
4. **Field of Study**: Need to intend to educate inside a precedence subject area as determined through the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants have to show a commitment to teaching and an understanding of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than 30 years once they apply.
*** Application Process For your Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On line Application**:
- Applications are submitted on-line throughout the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (about the Department of Basic Education's dedicated website for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window generally opens towards the tip in the academic yr and closes early the subsequent calendar year (generally November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are expected.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a selection method based upon the necessity for teachers in particular subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and meals
- Guides 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 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 Funza lushaka status check 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.