Nō ngā iwi o Te Whānau a Apanui, o Ngāitai, o Ngāti Rākaipaaka me Ngāti Koata a Thomas Parata. Koia te whakapākanga o ngā tamariki a Heremāia rāua ko Pearl Parata.
I puta tana ihu hei kaiako i te tau 1997 i Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, i te tau 2008 anō hoki i Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha. I puta hoki tana ihu i Te Panekiretanga o te Reo i te tau 2010.
Tau atu, tau mai, ko tana mahi matua he whakaako tamariki i roto i ngā kura - auraki, reo rua, rūmaki, kura kaupapa, wharekura hoki. Kei te Kura Takawaenga ia e mahi ana i tēnei wā.
E ngākaunui ana ia ki Te Reo Māori, ā-tuhituhi nei, ā-kōrero nei, ā-waiata hoki.
Thomas Parata is of Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāitai, Ngāti Rākaipaaka and Ngāti Koata descent. He is the youngest child of Heremāia and Pearl Parata.
His tertiary qualifications include teaching degrees from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi (1997) and Te Whare Wānanga o Waitahi (2008). Thomas graduated from Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo in 2010.
Over many years Thomas has been committed to the teaching of children across a range of educational settings - English medium schools, bilingual and full immersion classes, Kura Kaupapa Māori and Wharekura. Currently working at an Intermediate School, Thomas is an ardent enthusiast of spoken and written te reo Māori and the language of waiata.