The DBE allocated over R1.26 billion to higher education institutions in 2023 through the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme. However, despite this substantial investment, fewer Funza Lushaka graduates are securing positions in South African classrooms.
While the R1.26 billion funded 9,386 new bursaries, the number of bursary graduates being absorbed into state-paid teaching positions has been steadily declining. By the end of August 2024, only 15,435 of the 24,459 Funza Lushaka graduates who completed their studies between 2018 and 2023—about 63%—had been appointed to public school positions funded by the state.
This leaves 9,024 graduates unabsorbed. While some may be working in School Governing Body (SGB)-paid positions or in independent schools, many are believed to be unemployed or employed outside the teaching profession.
The absorption rate of Funza Lushaka graduates has dropped sharply, from 83% in 2019 to just 17% in 2024.
The DBE attributes this decline to several factors, including budget constraints in provincial education departments, specific curriculum needs, demand for certain subjects, and the hiring practices at schools, which often involve recommendations from SGBs.
In addition to Funza Lushaka graduates, the DBE’s National Recruitment Data (NRD) shows that 23,353 qualified teachers are currently registered as unemployed. As of September 2024, only 49% (11,485) of these teachers had been appointed to state-funded positions, leaving 11,868 still without permanent employment.
While some of these teachers may be working in non-state roles, the overall shortfall of unabsorbed teachers now totals 37,000.
The DBE expressed concern over the growing delay between graduation and employment in public education, highlighting a widening gap between newly qualified teachers and those securing permanent roles early in their careers.
Although efforts have been made to reduce the gap over time, the number of graduates continues to exceed the number of state-paid teaching posts. A growing portion of educators appear to be joining the system long after graduation, especially those over 30 years old.
The Funza Lushaka bursary programme is designed to address shortages in critical teaching areas by encouraging students to specialize in high-demand subjects. However, budget cuts by the National Treasury have forced the DBE to reduce the number of Funza Lushaka bursaries by approximately 2,000.
This reduction may result in fewer teachers being trained to meet the specific needs of classrooms.
Funza Lushaka Programme
The bursary programme encourages teaching as a profession to young people by offering comprehensive bursaries to individuals pursuing teaching qualifications. The funding provided by Funza covers Bachelor of Education (BEd) and Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses at all 26 public universities in South Africa.
