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.
Among these are: The University of New Zealand, Beaglehole, J. C. (1937); The Intermediate Schools of New Zealand, Beeby, C. E. (1938); Entrance to the University, Thomas, W., Beeby, C. E., and Oram, M. H. (1939); The High Schools of New Zealand, Murdoch, J. H. (1943); The Control of Post-primary Schools, Campbell, A. E. (1948); Adult Education in New Zealand, Thompson, A. B. (1948); The District High Schools of New Zealand, Thom, A. H. (1950); The Consolidation of Rural Schools, Parkyn, G. W. (1952); Success and Failure at the University, Parkyn, G. W.(1959); and Origins of the Primary School Curriculum in New Zealand, Ewing, J. L. (1960); The Qualifications and Supply of Mathematics Teachers, Cull, M. A. (1960).
Studies of the educational problems of special groups of children:
These include: Educating Backward Children in New Zealand, Winterbourn, R. (1944); Vocations for Maori Youth, McQueen, H. C. (1945); Juvenile Delinquency in New Zealand, Phillipp, E. (1946); Some Modern Maoris, Beaglehole, E. and P. (1946); Children of High Intelligence, Parkyn, G. W. (1948); Bringing up Crippled Children, Kennedy, M. V., and Somerset, H. C. D. (1951); Caring for Intellectually Handicapped Children, Winterbourn, R. (1958).
Studies relevant to classroom practice:
In this section are: About Books for Children, White, D. N. (1946); The Teaching of English, Gordon, I. A. (1947); The Teaching of Mathematics in Post-primary Schools, Murdoch, J. H. (1950); How to Conduct a Reading Survey, Fieldhouse, A. E. (1957); The Teaching of Science in Post-primary Schools, Searle, E. J. (1959); Learning to Spell, Arvidson, G. L. (1960); and the supplementary volumes, Alphabetical Spelling Lists.
Miscellaneous studies:
These include: Reading; Film and Radio Tastes of High School Boys and Girls, Scott, W. J. (1947); George Hogben, Roth, H. (1952); and The Oldest Manuscripts in New Zealand, Taylor, D. M. (1955).
At present nearly 20 research projects are being carried out in various parts of New Zealand, and plans are being developed for an extension of the Council's staff and resources to cope with the greatly increased demand for educational information and research.
by George William Parkyn, M.A., DIP.ED., Director, New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington.