The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative directed at addressing the shortage of qualified teachers from the country.
It offers financial guidance to suitable students who desire to go after a teaching qualification in places which are important for your schooling sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is meant to boost educating to be a career by funding university students to study to get a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The bursary covers fields with a certain scarcity 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**: Has to be a South African citizen with a valid ID.
2. **Study Requirements**: Must intend to enroll or already be enrolled in a full-time teaching qualification (BEd or PGCE) at a identified South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants needs to have an admission point rating (APS) that qualifies them for admission into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students must present satisfactory educational performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Need to plan to teach in the priority subject area as identified via the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants should demonstrate a determination to teaching and an knowledge of its significance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants really should not read more be older than 30 years once they apply.
*** Application Procedure For the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** On-line Application**:
- Applications are submitted on the net through the official Funza Lushaka bursary technique (over the Department of Basic Education's focused Web site for Funza Lushaka).
- The application window normally opens towards the tip on the academic yr and closes early the following year (ordinarily November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and evidence of university registration are essential.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is given to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes via a selection process based on the necessity for teachers in specific subjects and places.
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and foods
- Books and studying resources
- A little 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 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.