Miss Fane Fusipongi Ketu'u, JP, of Auckland, MNZM for services to Tongan language education
Miss Fane Fusipongi Ketu'u has advocated for the preservation of Lea Faka-Tonga (the study of Tongan language) for over 40 years, teaching in schools, communities and churches. As Tonga Stage Coordinator for the ASB Polyfest, she has taught over 40,000 students Tongan dance, music and language. She has worked with NZQA and the Ministry of Education on the Lea Faka-Tonga Achievement Standards, and helped establish Tongan language in NCEA and tertiary education. She has supported the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ Pacific Language portfolio. At James Cook High School, she created MANAFest to support emerging cultural groups, teaches evening classes for underachieving students, and supports wider family groups to reconnect with Lea Faka-Tonga.