Dominican Convent Primary School (Bulawayo)
Location:Dominican Convent School is the oldest school in Bulawayo (which is the second largest city in Zimbabwe), offering quality education…
Location:
Dominican Convent School is the oldest school in Bulawayo (which is the second largest city in Zimbabwe), offering quality education since 1895. The School is committed to the education and development of the whole person: spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, morally and socially. We provide an English medium, Catholic education for the girl child in accordance with the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture requirements.
Background:
Dominican Convent School was founded by the Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1895 to serve the children of Zimbabwe. It is the oldest school in Bulawayo (which is the second largest city in Zimbabwe). The Primary School provides an English medium, Catholic education for the girl child in accordance with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education requirements.
In the year 1895 the need for a school was realised in ‘old’ Bulawayo as with the rapid growth of the new township there was a surprisingly large number of European school age children. The Jesuit Fathers Kerr and Daignault were most anxious that the sisters should open a school.
Dominican Convent School is the oldest school in Bulawayo as the sisters opened it on Monday the 28th of October 1895, with ten pupils in the wood and iron chapel which they rented from the Jesuit Fathers. On the second day of school, 22 children attended lessons. The school was situated between 10th and 11th Avenues along Fort St (where the present day Immigration Offices are).
By 11 November, less than a month after the school had opened, there nearly forty children. The desks were packed full. It was then apparent that further accommodation was needed and Father Daignault placed the house which he had built for himself at the disposal of the sisters.
Sr. Sebastian Hill and Sr. Pancratius were assigned the task of teaching the children while the other nursing Sisters would assist, when they had time, with the social, spiritual and cultural needs of the children. Sr. Sebatian Hill was the first Headmistress of the school and she would give gifts to the pupils at the close of the term and this attracted a large number of pupils to join the school.
