The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative directed at addressing the shortage of skilled teachers inside the country.
It offers financial aid to eligible students who would like to go after a teaching qualification in places that happen to be crucial to the education sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is intended to encourage educating like a career 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 certain scarcity of teachers, for example:
- 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**: Should intend to enroll or currently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a acknowledged South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants have to have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students should present satisfactory academic overall performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Must intend to educate within a precedence subject area as determined via the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants have to reveal a determination to educating and an idea of its importance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years after they apply.
*** Application Procedure With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** Online Application**:
- Applications are submitted online through the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary procedure (over the Department of Basic Education's focused Web page for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window normally opens towards the end of the academic calendar year and closes early website the next year (generally November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are required.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference Funza Lushaka Bursary is provided to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The appliance goes by means of a selection method based upon the need for teachers in specific subjects and .
***Exactly what does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and foods
- Publications and learning elements
- A small 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 Funza bursary 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.