The Funza Lushaka Bursary is a South African government initiative directed at addressing the lack of qualified teachers within the country.
It offers financial support to eligible students who prefer to pursue a teaching qualification in locations which might be critical to the education and learning sector.
The Funza Lushaka bursary is made to encourage educating like a occupation 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, 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**: Need 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) in a regarded South African university.
3. **Academic Performance**:
- First-time university entrants must have an admission point score (APS) that qualifies them for admission right into a teaching qualification.
- Returning students have to clearly show satisfactory academic performance.
4. **Field of Study**: Must plan to educate in a very priority subject area as recognized from the Department of Basic Education.
5. **Commitment to Teaching**: Applicants will have to display a motivation to teaching and an idea of its great importance in society.
6. **Age**: Applicants should not be older than 30 years once they apply.
*** Application Procedure To the Funza Lushaka Bursary:
1. ** Online Application**:
- Applications are submitted on-line through the official Funza Lushaka bursary Funza lushaka status check method (about the Department of Basic Education's dedicated website for Funza Lushaka).
- The applying window typically opens towards the end from the academic year and closes early the subsequent year (commonly November to January).
2. **Documentation**:
- Certified copies of ID, educational results, and proof of university registration are necessary.
3. **Selection Process**:
- Preference is offered to applicants from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The application goes through a selection approach dependant on the necessity for teachers in certain subjects and .
***What Does The Bursary Include?:
The bursary covers the subsequent expenses:
- Tuition charges
- Accommodation and foods
- Textbooks and studying elements
- 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 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 Funza lushaka online application other requirements. Funza Lushaka Recipients need to reapply every year, and the renewal is subject to satisfactory academic performance.