The French Institute of Education is a component of the ENS in Lyon, but it has its own management bodies (Director, Governance Board, policy advice and scientific).  It has replaced the National Institute of Educational Research and performs most of the same tasks and obligations.

The Institute conducts national research, training and mediation of knowledge in education, based on continuous interaction with educational communities, through the recruitment of teachers and professors.

Internationally, the French Institute of Education is inserted in all major research networks including those involving UNESCO and the OECD.  Thanks to its holdings and a simple and effective host device, it is the gateway for foreign researchers working on the French educational system.

The Institute, according to its statutes, has overall responsibility for:

• developing research on various forms and practices of education in France and abroad;
• accompanying the evolution of educational systems at all levels;
• providing support to the monitoring and evaluation of policies in education in France and among international organizations;
• providing initial training or continuing education in all sectors of economic and social development;
• making publicly available scientific resources in education; and
• nurturing a space for debate on key contemporary issues in education.