Dr Palefau new Minister of Education [1]
Monday, January 24, 2005 - 17:52. Updated on Thursday, May 1, 2014 - 21:24.
The Hon. Dr Tevita Hala Palefau (47), today took up his post as Tonga's new Minister of Education.
Dr Palefau who was appointed by HM King Taufa...ahau Tupou IV on January 21 takes over from Paul Bloomfield who has been an interim Minister of Education since January 2002.
Falekava Kupu, from the Prime Minister office today confirmed that Paul Bloomfield who has been in the civil service during the past 49 years began his retirement.
Dr Palefau has a PhD from the University of Toronto, Canada. He began his career in Education in 1979 as an assistant teacher at the Mailefihi Siu'ilikutapu College, Vava'u. He graduated as a Bachelor of Science in 1985 from the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji; and earned his Master of Science degree from the University of Technology, Perth, Australia, in 1993.
Dr Palefau was the Principal of the Taufa'ahau Pilolevu College , Ha'apai from 1996 -97, and the Principal of Tupou College from 1997 to 2000.
He was ordained as a Minister of the Methodist Church of Tonga in 1998.