New ZealandSouthlandBalfourBalfour School

Balfour School

StateContributingCo-Educational
Balfour, Southland · Rural settlement
office@balfour.school.nz 03-2016042
Total Roll63enrolled students
Māori14.3%of roll
Pacific7.9%of roll
Asian15.9%of roll
Student Body
63
enrolled students
European/Pākehā68.3%
Māori14.3%
Pacific7.9%
Asian15.9%
GenderCo-Educational
Balfour School

Ethnicity Breakdown

Balfour School's roll is predominantly european/pakeha (68.3%). The next largest group is asian students.

63students
European/Pakeha68.3%
Maori14.3%
Pacific7.9%
Asian15.9%
European/Pakeha68.3%
Maori14.3%
Pacific7.9%
Asian15.9%
Source: Ministry of Education (2026).

Compared to National Averages

The bars below show Balfour School's ethnicity breakdown compared to the national average across all New Zealand schools. The white reference line marks the national average for each group.

European/Pakeha
+22.3pp above avg68.3%
National average: 46%
Maori
-10.7pp below avg14.3%
National average: 25%
Pacific
-2.1pp below avg7.9%
National average: 10%
Asian
+3.9pp above avg15.9%
National average: 12%
Source: Ministry of Education (2026). National averages are approximate.

Ethnicity Roll Numbers

Absolute student numbers by ethnicity, as reported by the Ministry of Education. Students can identify with more than one ethnic group, so totals may exceed the total school roll.

Ethnic GroupStudents% of Roll
European/Pakeha4368.3%
Maori914.3%
Pacific57.9%
Asian1015.9%
Total Roll63100%
Source: Ministry of Education (2026).

Understanding Ethnicity Data

Self-identified ethnicity

Ethnicity in New Zealand school data is self-identified by students and families at enrolment. A student may identify with multiple ethnic groups, which means ethnicity percentages may sum to more than 100%.

Maori students and cultural context

New Zealand schools have a unique responsibility under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The proportion of Maori students can reflect a school's engagement with te reo Maori, tikanga, and culturally responsive practices.

Diversity is not a quality measure

A school's ethnic composition reflects its community, not its quality. Schools with high concentrations of any group serve their students well when they respond to their community's cultural, linguistic, and educational needs.

MELAA and Other categories

MELAA stands for Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African. The 'Other' category includes students who identify with ethnicities not covered by the main groups, as well as those who did not state an ethnicity.