The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative geared toward addressing the scarcity of qualified teachers inside the country.
It offers financial guidance to eligible students who want to go after a teaching qualification in areas which have been important for the schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is designed to encourage educating as a occupation 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 specific scarcity of teachers, which include:
- 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**: Should plan to enroll or previously be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a recognized 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 will have to show satisfactory academic efficiency.
4. **Field of Study**: Must plan to educate inside of a precedence subject area as discovered with the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants have to exhibit a determination to educating and an idea of its great importance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should Funza bursary not be older than thirty years after they apply.
*** Application Procedure For that Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the net Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the internet with the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (within the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Web-site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window usually opens towards the end of the academic calendar year and closes early the subsequent year (typically November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and evidence of university registration are demanded.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a selection process determined by the need for teachers in certain subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks and learning elements
- A small stipend for other living costs
***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.