A Former Education Minister, Dr. ’Ana Maui Taufe’ulungaki (78) passed away at 8:15 am this morning, at her home ‘Api ko Faka’amunoa, in Ha’ateiho, after an illness.
A funeral service will be held tomorrow morning, Tuesday 19 November, at 9:00 am, at the Free Wesleyan Church in Ha’ateiho, before the funeral proceeds to the Makamaka Cemetery.
During a life of learning, Dr. ‘Ana Taufe’ulungaki became one of Tonga's foremost educators.
She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham, her M.A. from the University of Leeds, and her B.A. from Auckland University.
Dr. Taufe’ulungaki began work at the University of the South Pacific in 1999, first as Fellow, then as Director of the Institute of Education.
From 2006 - 2007, she became Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Affairs at USP, Laucala Campus, Suva.
In 2005-2006 she was a member of the 'National Committee of the Kingdom of Tonga for Political Reform' chaired by the late Prince Tu'ipelehake, working on political reform, which she said also included social and economic reforms.
In 2009 she was appointed by a Judiciary Commission to serve on a five member Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission, tasked with making recommendations on how the Tongan government and the Tongan parliament might structure a new and more democratic system of government.
In January 2011, she took office as Minister for Education, Women’s Affairs and Culture, under the government of Lord Tu’ivakano.
Dr Taufe'ulungaki was a designer of Tonga’s Education Policy Framework 2004-2019, which required that “Basic literacy will be established in Tongan before the introduction of English”.
Dr. Taufe'ulungaki was appointed as a member of His Majesty’s Privy Council in May 2022.
She resigned from Privy Council in the middle of this year due to medical reasons.
Her latest role was Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research Affairs and Dean for School of Education, at Christ's University in Pacific (CUP) from July 2019 until July this year.
