| Lanelle Olandrea Tanangada | |
| Birth Date: | 1 July 1979 |
| Office: | Minister for Education |
| Termstart: | 29 April 2020 |
| Party: | Kadere Party |
| Constituency: | Gizo/Kolombangara |
| Nationality: | Solomon Islander |
| Primeminister: | Manasseh Sogavare |
| Governor-General: | David Vunagi |
Lanelle Olandrea Tanangada (born 1 July 1979) is a Solomon Islands teacher and politician who has served as the country's Education Minister since April 2020.
Lanelle Oleandra Tanangada was born on 1 July 1979 in Western Province. Her father is part Ranongga and Vella and her mother is from Marovo Lagoon. Her parents were Seventh-day Adventist missionaries and she has one elder brother. She attended SDA mission primary schools in Honiara and Betikama Adventist High School.[1]
Tanangada undertook undergraduate studies at the Pacific Adventist University in Papua New Guinea and received a Master of Education from the University of Waikato in New Zealand in 2013, with a thesis titled A study of language use in secondary school classrooms in the Solomon Islands: Conceptions, practices and proficiencies.[2] She was a teacher at SDA schools in Kukudu, Burns Creek and Betikama.[1]
Tanangada was elected as the independent representative for Gizo/Kolombangara constituency in a May 2018 by-election after her husband Jimson Tanangada lost the seat after being convicted of bribing voters during the 2014 election.[3] [4] [5] The charges were brought by former Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo, who then contested the seat. Tanangada defeated Lilo with 2580 votes to his 1593.[6] [7] [8] She was the first woman in the Western Province elected to the Parliament[6] and the fourth woman MP in the country's history.[9] On 18 October 2019, she was sworn in as Minister for Women, Youth and Children Affairs.[10]
Tanangada joined the Kadere Party and became part of the Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement.[11] She was re-elected for a full term in the April 2019 elections, again defeating Lilo with 4397 votes to his 4002.[11] She became one of only two women in the 50-seat Parliament.[12] [13] She was appointed Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services,[12] a position she resigned from in October 2019.[14] In April 2020, she became Minister for Education and Human Resources Development under Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.[15] [16] [17]
Tanangada is married to Jimson Tanangada and they have two children. She is a Christian.[1]