Question NW1764 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

a) What are the criteria for the admissions for the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme?

     (i) There are criteria for first time applicants who include the District and Community-based recruits and the returning or existing students who are already enrolled at an HEI. The              criteria are stipulated as follows:

A. For 1st time entrants to a Higher Education Institution

• An exemption, endorsement, or ‘admission to bachelor degree studies’ pass at Grade 12 level.
• At least a level 4 pass at Grade 12 level in the subject which leads on to the priority area/subject in which the applicant will specialize to teach.
• For students who wish to specialize in the Foundation Phase, a pass in Mathematics or at least level 4 pass in Mathematical Literacy at Grade 12 level is required. In addition, a level 4 pass in the Home Language is required.
• Students who wish to specialize in the teaching of Technology subjects, including CAT, and who do not have these subjects at matric level, must have at least a level 4 pass in Mathematics.
• If the institution’s admission requirements are higher than the bursary requirement and vice versa then the higher requirement will apply.

 

1. For existing bursars

• The student must have passed at least two-thirds (66.6%) of all the subject modules studied in the last year of study at the university.
• The student must have passed at least two-thirds (66.6%) of the priority subject area modules studied in the last year of study at the Higher Education Institution. This should include specific province-specific subjects of students selected through the District and Community Based teacher recruitment programme.
• For the Foundation Phase, Language, Mathematics and Life Skills will form the priority subjects for purposes of the re-awarding of the bursary.
• If a student is doing one priority subject, he/she must pass it to qualify for re-award.
• The student must be progressing to the next level/year of study.
• The students must achieve at least a 55% average across all subject modules.
• Students who register and fail a module twice in a year, that module will be counted twice for purposes of determining the course load and the number of modules failed.
• Students who fail to meet the above will have their bursaries temporarily withdrawn until they redeem themselves by meeting these requirements, where they will again be considered for funding.

B. What are the criteria for a student wanting to change subjects when receiving the scholarship?

            Students are not allowed to change subjects, once awarded they have to adhere to the subject until the qualification is completed.

        b. (i) The number of learners have that been accepted for mathematics and science,

• For 2022, selections at HEIs are still being conducted and the data will be made available after the outcome of the selections have been concluded. However, the table below illustrates the number of Mathematics and Sciences students for the previous academic year (2021).

   

SUBJECTS/MODULES	Number of students
Mathematics	5958
Physical Science	1970

Source: FLIMS SUBMITTED Q4 LIST

 

       b. (ii)  The number of student passed with mathematics and science in the past three academic years is indicated in the table below:

       

Mathematics and Physical Science Pass Rate in the past three academic years
Subject	2019	2020	2021	Total
Mathematics	1500	2355	2408	6263
Physical Science	430	687	807	1924

 

      b. (iii) The number of drop out of their studies before completion?    

• No drop-outs from the Funza Lushaka bursars, however, one (1) student was reported as deceased.