The New Zealand Council for Educational Research is an independent research foundation established for the purpose of carrying out investigations into problems of education in New Zealand and of providing information and advice upon educational matters. The Council was constituted in 1933 by the Carnegie Corporation on the understanding that eventually it would be supported entirely from New Zealand sources. In 1945 the Council was given statutory recognition by the New Zealand Council for Education Research Act, and since then it has been supported by Government grants supplemented by donations from private sources.

The Council is an autonomous body of eight members. Six are elected by an electoral college consisting in the main of persons nominated by various educational organisations; one is appointed by the Governor-General; and one is co-opted. The Council maintains a permanent office and a small research staff. It is an independent organisation, not attached in any way to other institutions or Government Departments, and it values this independence as an essential safeguard of its ability to carry out studies of intricate educational problems with complete impartiality, and to publish freely the reports on its researches. The greater part of its research programme is carried out by part-time honorary research workers, who receive technical assistance from the full-time staff and whose research expenses are met by the Council.

More than 50 major educational reports have already been published, many of which have had considerable influence upon educational policy. The scope and nature of the work already accomplished can be seen from the following classified selection of reports.