Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme revives interest in the teaching profession
The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme continues to be one of most critical initiatives used to recruit youth in the teaching profession. Applications for funding for the 2016 academic year opened on 01 October 2015. The closing date for new applicants was 15 January 2016. All the applications were done online.
The Director for the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme, Mr Gerrit Coetzee, said that National Treasury has allocated R1,043,611 for the 2016/17 financial year. “This amount will be sufficient to fund approximately 14 000 students during the 2016 academic year.
Selection meetings will be held with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that are participating in the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme from February to April 2016. This is because the selections can only happen once the registrations at the universities have closed.
The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme supported 13,980 students studying through the 24 HEIs that are participating in the bursary programme in 2015. These students were in their first, second, third and fourth year of study,” explained Mr Coetzee.
He further added that the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme played a critical role in reviving interest in the teaching profession, particularly among the youth who initially frowned upon teaching as a profession. “This contributed significantly in reducing the gap between the supply and demand of teachers particularly in the gateway subjects,” he said.
One of the focus areas of the Programme is on the recruitment of Foundation Phase teachers who are able to teach in an African Language. The emphasis on Technical Schools through the introduction of the Technical Caps also requires that the Funza Lushaka Programme attracts an increasing number of teachers for subject areas such as Engineering, Graphics and Design, Mechanical Technology, Electrical Technology, etc.
