What you need to do
If you want to study to become a qualified teacher, you have to meet 1 of 2 requirements:
A world of teaching opportunities
Before you start teaching, you’ll need to remember the particular age group you prefer working with:
If you choose to teach Intermediate, Senior or the FET phase, you can choose the subjects you want to teach. These subjects include languages, mathematics, the sciences, technology, business and management, and the humanities field.
Funding your studies
Getting the money to pay for your studies can be challenging, however the following bursaries are available if you’d like to study education:
1) The Funza Lushaka bursary programme
The Funza Lushaka bursary programme promotes teaching as a profession and is available to students studying for a teaching qualification in Foundation phase (Grades R-3), Intermediate phase, Senior phase (Grades 4-9) and FET phase (Grades 10-12). Recipients of the bursary will need to work at a public school for the same number of years they’ve received the bursary for. Applications for the bursary started from 1 October 2015 and will close on 8 January 2016. For more information, visit the Funza Lushaka website.
2) Western Cape Education Department bursaries
The amount of funds available for bursaries through the Western Cape Education Department varies from year to year. If you want to find out more, visit the Western Cape Education Department website.
3) Education, Training and Development Practices - Sector Education and Training Authority (EDTP-SETA) bursaries
For more information about available funding, you can visit the EDTP-SETA website.
4) The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) loans
NSFAS offers loans to students that can be converted into bursaries should their academic performance meet the requirements for the conversion. To find out more, you’ll need to visit the NSFAS website.
5) Bank loans
Some banks offer student loans but you will need to understand the repayment terms and conditions before making a final decision.
Studying teaching in the Western Cape
You can study teaching or education at the following universities or tertiary institutions:
University of Cape Town School of Education
Tel: 021 650 2769
021 650 2772
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Mowbray Campus
Tel: 021 680 1500
Wellington Campus
Tel: 021 864 5200
University of the Western Cape: Faculty of Education
Tel: 021 959 2276
University of Stellenbosch
Tel: 021 808 9111