The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the lack of skilled teachers inside the country.
It offers financial aid to eligible students who need to pursue a teaching qualification in places that happen to be essential with the schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is built to promote teaching to be a profession by funding college students to study for the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a certain lack of teachers, like:
- 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**: Need 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) in a identified South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants have to have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students need to demonstrate satisfactory educational performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Have to plan to teach inside a priority subject area as identified with the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Educating**: Applicants need to display a motivation to teaching and an comprehension of its value in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than 30 years once they apply.
*** Application Process For the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the web Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the web throughout the official Funza Lushaka bursary program (to the Department of Basic Education's focused Web page for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window typically opens towards the top of your academic calendar year and closes early the next year (normally November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and evidence of university registration are needed.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is given to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The appliance goes by way of a variety Funza Lushaka application method dependant on the necessity for teachers in particular subjects and places.
***Exactly what does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and foods
- Guides and learning resources
- A little 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 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.