Question NW3609 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

(a) i. The number of Funza Lushaka bursaries (FLB) that have been awarded since it was established.

 (ii) Information that is immediately available allows for reporting of placements from the 2013 to 2021 period. During this period 33 113 bursary recipients graduates that were eligible for placement were placed after graduation.

(iii) No there was no monies paid back by the Students that graduated.  After graduations, the students are given six month to be placed in public schools.

(b) What are the reasons that the remaining graduates were not placed in each (i) year and (ii) province in each case? 

REPLY: Each year the reasons for the non-placement of FLB is primarily the same.  The placement of Funza Lushaka bursary recipients depends on the availability of vacant posts that match their qualifications. This approach has not changed since the inception of the programme. Therefore, some graduates remain unplaced each year mainly due to the unavailability of suitable vacancies. According to policy, the filling of educator vacancies follows an order which prioritises matching and placement of educators declared in addition; conversion of educators appointed in temporary capacity;  then the matching and placement of the Funza Lushaka and provincial bursary recipients in the remaining vacant posts. In some Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) bursary recipients compete for the remaining vacant posts with all other first-time appointments and this reduces the potential number of graduates placed. However, many of those that are not placed in the year that they are available for placement do join the system in the subsequent years.