The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative targeted at addressing the scarcity of competent teachers in the country.
It provides monetary aid to eligible students who prefer to go after a teaching qualification in places that are essential with the education and learning sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is intended to encourage educating for a profession 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 particular shortage of teachers, including:
- 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**: Must intend to enroll or previously be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) in a identified South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants need to have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students ought to clearly show satisfactory academic overall performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Should plan to educate inside a precedence subject area as identified by the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants should show a determination to teaching and an understanding of its great importance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years once they apply.
*** Application Procedure For your Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** website On the internet Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the net with the Formal Funza Lushaka bursary system (around the Department of Basic Education's dedicated Internet site for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window ordinarily opens towards the end with the academic 12 months and closes early the subsequent year (typically November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, academic results, and proof of university registration are essential.
3. **Selection Process**:
here - Preference is provided to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a selection procedure depending on the need for teachers in specific subjects and .
***Exactly what does The Bursary Cover?:
The bursary covers the following expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and meals
- Guides and studying products
- A little 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 Funza Lushaka application 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.