Online ReporterMkhululi Ncube,Zimpapers Writer
THE Seventh day Adventist Church (SDA) has established a new secondary school in Plumtree Town as part of efforts to improve access to quality education and to contribute to national development.
The establishment of the new school is expected to ease pressure on Plumtree High School and Phakamani Secondary School, which have been the only Government secondary schools serving the border town.
Plumtree Town has four primary schools — Dingumuzi, Allan Redfern, Matiwaza and Mathendele — which feed into the limited secondary school infrastructure available.
The new Plumtree Adventist High School (PAHS), located in Mathendele suburb, is expected to open for enrolment at the beginning of the 2026 academic calendar next week, officials have said.
Confirming the development, the SDA Church South Zimbabwe Conference education director, Mrs Zibusiso Sibanda, said the school had received all the required Government approvals to commence operations.
“We received authority to establish the school in 2021. Our motivation for setting up the school was the growing population, which put pressure on existing schools, as well as the need to establish an institution offering Christian-based education,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda said the opening of PAHS would help decongest existing schools, a development she said would improve the quality of education through better learner to teacher ratios.
She said the Church’s education philosophy aligns with that of Government, placing emphasis on the development of both academic and practical skills.
“As a church, our mandate is to have a school that will socialise the child, and we seek to teach beyond the Government curriculum, with a strong focus on character formation,” said Mrs Sibanda.
“We also integrate faith and learning across all subject areas. We are excited to be opening this new school to learners,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda said four classrooms had already been completed to accommodate the first intake of learners, with plans to add additional classes next year through further construction.
She said enrolment was already under way and was expected to reach the required numbers by the time schools open.
“We have running water at the school and have put in place all measures required to meet Government health, safety and legal regulations as prescribed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” she said.
“PAHS is the 23rd school under our conference, which covers part of Bulawayo and a large portion of Matabeleland South Province. We are also in the process of establishing another school in Filabusi, where the first block is 80 percent complete while the second block is still at foundation level,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda said vocational education would form a key component of the school’s curriculum, aimed at equipping learners with practical skills to enable them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
