Why is ART being ostracised from the South African Education system?

As a 4rth year Fine Art student that has just graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT). There are a range of options of what I can do next year. These include Curating , becoming a full time professional artist or going into teaching. I wanted to become a high school Art teacher so did research on what qualifications I needed to teach at a government school. After a bit of research I found I needed to do another year of study which I could do full time through UCT or part time through UNISA. I would then have a Higher diploma in education (PGCE). I applied to the education department of UCT and was accepted.

The next step was to find away to pay for my further year of study. I had already invested approximately R30 000 for study fees to get through fourth year Fine art. There was also the capital outlay of materials and framing which is needed in a Fine Art degree, these are over and above study costs. I was running low on finances as I had to find money for the 3 years previous years of study. I did research into what bursary assistance there was on offer in the South African education context.

The further year teaching qualification at UCT will cost me approximately a further R21 500. I do not have enough to finance that so I looked at places where I could get funding. Everyone directed me to the Funza Lushaka Bursary, so I attempted to apply for that bursary. I was quiet disheartened when I filled out the application form. There is a section in the form where one has to tick the boxes to indicate what subject one would like to apply for a bursary in. I noticed the 9 South African languages (isi Ndebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga) had check boxes for grades 4, 7 and 10 . That is a total of 27 boxes. There were boxes for English, Maths, Science and Technology among others. I then became aware of what had blatantly been excluded, not a single check box for Art or Afrikaans.

The closest art related link I could find was Engineering Graphic and Design. I went ahead and checked that as I really would have liked to teach in a subject related to the Art and Graphic design background I come from. I was unsure if I would be considered for this subject so I phone Rob Sieborger at the UCT education department. I asked what my chances were of getting the bursary, I was told the chances are very slim because I had only done art practical and discourse subjects and did not have Maths, Science or English.

I think back to a walk I took into Cape Town CBD in August this year when I found myself in a crowd of picketing teacher. These mostly black women were finding their jobs very demanding as the classes they teach are large and so are not easy to discipline. They wanted to important work they were doing for the South African society to be recognised financially through a salary increase.

There is clearly a need to more teacher in South Africa and there are many creative children who would benefit from the creative thinking and finding a visual identity that art offers. Why is it so expensive and difficult to become an Art teacher at a South African Government school?

I have 4 years of University education and am willing to study another year but there seems to be no financial aid so I may be forced into selling my art instead. How many other art students are forced into the same direction? Art can be incorporated as a more creative way of learning in other fields of reading and writing why is it being ostracised for the public education system?