Jean-Marius Raapoto

Jean-Marius Raapoto (born 1 January 1943) is a French Polynesian educator, academic, politician, and former Cabinet Minister. He has been a major advocate for the Tahitian language, and served as Minister of Education in various governments between 2004 and 2009.

Jean-Marius Raapoto
Minister of Education
In office
12 February 2009 – 25 November 2009
PresidentOscar Temaru
In office
23 February 2008 – 15 April 2008
PresidentGaston Flosse
In office
3 March 2005 – 20 April 2006
PresidentOscar Temaru
In office
17 June 2004 – 23 June 2004
Member of the French Polynesian Assembly
for Unknown
In office
6 May 2001 – 4 May 2013
In office
16 March 1986 – 16 March 1991
Personal details
Born1 January 1943[1]
Papara, French Polynesia[1]
Political partyEa no Maohinui
Tireo
Tavini Huiraatira

He is the son of religious leader Samuel Raapoto and the brother of linguist Turo Raapoto and journalist Etienne Raapoto.[1]

Early life

Raapoto was born in Papara.[1] After attending university in Dordogne he trained as a teacher at Normal school in Strasbourg.[1] He worked as a teacher, then as principal of Charles Viénot school, before returning to France to pursue a degree in linguistics.[1] He taught at Pomare IV college, before becoming its principal in 1980.[1] He later worked for the department of education, where he was an advocate of the Tahitian language before becoming professor of Reo Mā’ohi at the University of French Polynesia. In 1996 he graduated with a doctorate in language science.[1]

Political career

In 1985 he founded the Ea no Maohinui party, and he was elected to the Assembly of French Polynesia in the 1986 French Polynesian legislative election.[1][2] He lost his seat at the 1991 election.[3] He later formed the Tireo party.[1] In 1998 he contested the election to the French Senate, losing to Gaston Flosse.[4]

In June 2004 he was appointed Minister of Education in the cabinet of Oscar Temaru.[5][6] He was reappointed when Temaru regained the presidency in March 2005,[7] but surrendered his portfolio in April 2006 to return to the Assembly to shore up Temaru's majority.[8] He was later reappointed, and oversaw the trial of English-language and te reo education to pre-schoolers.[9]

Following the 2008 French Polynesian legislative election he was reappointed Education Minister in the coalition cabinet of Gaston Flosse,[10] but resigned as a Minister in April 2008 after Flosse lost a confidence vote and Gaston Tong Sang became president. He rejoined the Assembly in July 2008.[11] He rejoined cabinet again as Education Minister when Temaru returned to power in February 2009.[12] He was not reappointed to Temaru's fifth cabinet in 2011, instead serving as chair of the Assembly's education committee.[13]

After retiring from politics he worked for the town of Faaa,[1] then moved to Niau in the Tuamotus where he opened a coconut oil mill.[14][15]

In 2019 he was appointed an officer of the Order of Tahiti Nui.[1]

References
  1. "Jean-Marius Raapoto nommé au grade d'officier dans l'ordre de Tahiti Nui" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  2. "Flosse settles into the seats of power". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 57, no. 7. 1 July 1986. p. 21. Retrieved 25 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Jean-Marius RAAPOTO" (in French). Assemblée de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  4. "POLYNESIE FRANÇAISE". Le Courrier Australien. 10 October 1998. p. 21. Retrieved 25 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Le nouveau gouvernement présenté" (in French). Assemblée de la Polynésie française. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  6. "New French Polynesian government line-up announced". RNZ. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  7. "French Polynesia's education minister pushes for equal opportunities". RNZ. 23 March 2005. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  8. "French Polynesian government shake-up restores Temaru's majority". RNZ. 20 April 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  9. "French Polynesia to teach English to toddlers". RNZ. 18 August 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  10. "President Flosse announces French Polynesian coalition government line-up". RNZ. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  11. "Eight French Polynesian assembly members replaced". RNZ. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  12. "French Polynesia's newly-elected President finalises his Cabinet". RNZ. 18 February 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  13. "L'UPLD s'attribue toutes les présidences de commissions, l'opposition dénonce des méthodes "autoritaires"". Tahiti Infos. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  14. "À la découverte de l'huile de coco vierge bio de Niau" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  15. "Our History". Niau Organic. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
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