The basic education department said this week it would beef up its efforts to attract young people to teaching by means of its Funza Lushaka bursaries.
The prestigious state bursary scheme for students intending to become schoolteachers had shown mixed recruitment results since its launch in 2007, the Mail & Guardian reported in February.
Over four years the Western Cape education department had placed only 34% of bursary recipients in state schools, while other provinces ranged from 75% to 90% placement.
The scheme stipulates that if a provincial department fails to find a post for a Funza Lushaka recipient within 60 days of his or her graduating the newly qualified teacher’s obligation to teach in a state school in terms of the scheme falls away.
Next week the national department will launch a “campaign to recruit the best of young people to the teaching profession”, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said. This would “strengthen … the Funza Lushaka programme”.
She was speaking at government’s human development cluster media briefing after the Cabinet lekgotla.