Morris obtained his BEd (Economics) from the University of Leeds, MSc (Sociology of Education) from the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) and DPhil from the University of Sussex. He taught at the University of Hong Kong from 1976, was Dean of the Faculty of Education there from 1986 until 1992, and became Chair Professor in Curriculum Studies in 1997. He served on the Government Education Commission from 1988 to 1993. He was Deputy Director (Academic) at the HKIEd from August 2000, and in 2002 became the President. In recognition of his services to education he was presented with the degree of Doctor of Civil Law (honoris causa) by the University of East Anglia in 2007. In October 2007 he was appointed as a Professor of Comparative Education at the Institute of Education, University College London.
