NZ Order of Merit for Dr Lesieli Tongati‘o [1]
Tuesday, June 3, 2014 - 20:21. Updated on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 - 20:22.
Dr Lesieli Pelesikoti Tongati‘o of Palmerston North, has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of her contributions to the education of Pacific Islanders in New Zealand, in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours list.
The Tongan woman is the only person to be made an honorary member of the order in this round of honours.
Originally from Tonga, she first went to New Zealand to study education at Massey University and later worked as a teacher at Queen Elizabeth College in Manawatu.
Since 1993, Dr Lesieli Tongati’o has worked as senior manager of New Zealand’s Ministry of Education’s Pasifika team. She specializes in early childhood education.
Dr Tongati’o initiated the formation of New Zealand’s Ministry of Education’s Pasifika Advisory and served as its Chief Advisor. She has championed policies to lift Pasifika children’s participation in quality early education, and increase the input of Pasifika teachers and communities into policy development. Dr Tongati’o is a member of the New Zealand Council of Tongan Women and has served as Secretary, Vice President and President
Dr Tongati’o credits her parents for motivating family education. “Our family was always passionate about education,” she said.
Lesieli has three daughters and two grandchildren. She is a sister of Netatua Pelesikoti, the Director of the Climate Change Division at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).