The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African govt initiative targeted at addressing the lack of competent teachers inside the country.
It provides financial help to eligible students who wish to go after a teaching qualification in locations that are significant for that schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is made to promote educating like a career by funding college students to study to get a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a particular scarcity 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**: Must 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) at a identified South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants need to have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students will have to demonstrate satisfactory educational overall performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Will have to intend to teach in a very precedence subject area as identified by the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants have to reveal a commitment to teaching and an knowledge of its relevance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not be older than thirty years after they apply.
*** Application Procedure With the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** Online Application**:
- Applications are submitted online with the official Funza Lushaka bursary system (around the Department of Basic Education's dedicated website for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window ordinarily opens towards the top on the academic yr and closes early the following calendar year (ordinarily November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are required.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is provided to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The appliance goes by means of a range course of action dependant on the need for teachers in certain subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition costs
- Accommodation and meals
- Textbooks and studying resources
- 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 Funza Lushaka 2025 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.