The introduction of the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme has seen a dramatic rise in the number of learners registering for teacher training at South African universities. In some cases, student numbers have doubled at a few institutions.
The department of education launched the scheme in 2007 to promote teaching in public schools as the career of choice for able and committed South Africans. Full bursaries are available for eligible students to complete a teaching qualification in an area of national priority. Recipients of a Funza Lushaka bursary are required to teach in a school administered by a provincial education department for the same number of years that they received the bursary.
Julie Donolly, B.Ed Programme Manager at the University of the Witwatersrand told the Teacher there has been a significant increase in the number of students signing up for the university’s education courses.
“We have registered 740 first-year students for 2009, more than double the number we had last year,” she said.
“This includes 240 teachers from Limpopo who have come for retraining, but it would be safe to say that the increase in students is a direct result of the bursary scheme.”
Universities across the country have noted a similar increase in the number of applicants for teaching courses.
The University of Pretoria has already registered about 1100 first-year students in the education faculty, almost 500 more students than in 2008.
“The increase in learners is probably down to two factors,” says Melinda Joubert, head of student affairs in the faculty.
“First, the education department has increased the number of bursaries available for teacher education and (second) even in this uncertain economic climate, teaching is still viewed as a safe and stable profession.”
The bursary covers the registration fee, tuition fee and learning material allowance as well as any costs incurred over and above the allocated bursary amount that should be paid by the student.
The bursary is awarded for one academic year at a time and on proof of academic success it may be renewed each year until the recipient has qualified as a teacher. The bursary must be repaid if the recipient fails to qualify as a teacher or fails to meet any of the other bursary requirements.