The DBE and its partners convened a key dialogue on 8 November 2025 at the Protea Hotel OR Tambo to review and repurpose the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme (FLBP). Introduced in 2007 and last reviewed in 2014, the Programme has operated for over a decade without a comprehensive reassessment, despite major shifts in the education landscape.
According to Ms Lala Maje, Director for Initial Teacher Education, the review aims to ensure alignment with new sector priorities, including increasing the supply of STEM and mother tongue-bilingual teachers, strengthening inclusive education, improving digital literacy in the foundation phase, and seeing an improved way of matching teacher production with system needs. Stakeholders also discussed the lived realities of Bachelor of Education students and distance-learning candidates, ensuring that the review is based on-real life experiences.
Acting Deputy Director-General of Branch T, Mr Enoch Rabotapi, highlighted that National Treasury concerns about sustainability make this review both necessary and urgent. Whilst perspectives varied, stakeholders agreed that Funza Lushaka remains essential. They called for the Programme to evolve, supporting the Three Stream Model, improving work-integrated learning, addressing weaknesses in teacher preparation, and ensuring that graduate absorption keeps pace with training outputs.
Basic Education DG, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, appointed the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) to lead the review of the FLBP. The NECT in return appointed the lead evaluators with Prof Iron Rensburg leading the team. The dialogue was used to seek the views of stakeholders in order to develop Terms of Reference to appoint the service provider. Representing the NECT, Dr Godwin Khosa outlined the organisation’s strategic role. With teachers forming the backbone of the education system and constituting over 80% of the education budget, he noted that any instrument shaping teacher supply is of national importance. Dr Khosa emphasised that the FLBP functions as both a policy and administrative tool, requiring a thorough, system-wide review, since its last review was in 2014.
The review of FLBP marks an important moment for teacher development in South Africa. With broad support from universities, unions, NGOs and provincial departments, the sector is united in strengthening teacher supply and improving learning outcomes. As work continues, the insights shared at the workshop will shape a refreshed Funza Lushaka Programme, one that is agile, aligned to national priorities, and responsive to the needs of a future-ready teaching workforce.