The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative targeted at addressing the shortage of skilled teachers while in the country.
It provides financial guidance to suitable students who desire to pursue a teaching qualification in locations that happen to be critical to the schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is meant to boost educating as a profession 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 particular lack 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**: Must be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Should plan to enroll or currently be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a regarded South African university.
3. **Educational Performance**:
- First-time university entrants have to have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students have to present satisfactory educational general performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Have to intend to teach in a precedence subject area as identified via the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants ought to reveal a dedication to educating and an understanding of its worth in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years once they apply.
*** Application Procedure With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On the net Application**:
- Applications are submitted online with the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary program (within the here Department of Basic Education's dedicated Internet site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window commonly opens towards the top with the academic calendar year and closes early the subsequent calendar year (normally November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and evidence of university registration are essential.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a range system according to the need for teachers in certain subjects and areas.
***Exactly what does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition service fees
- Accommodation and Funza lushaka online application 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 to repay the click here 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.