Jersey census to help plan future class sizes

The census will be used to help the Jersey Education Department plan future class sizes.

The island is holding census day on Sunday 27 March, which is the same day as the UK one.

The questions in the 2011 census will help Jersey's education authorities to work out how many pupils there will be in the future.

They need to start making provisions a number of years before children arrive at schools.

The census can also be a guide for where demand for school places will be, and can help to determine how many primary schools will be needed in the future.

Jim Westwater, head of planning and projects at Education Sport and Culture, said: "Accurate information is essential in forward planning and data from the census will help us to make informed decisions."

The 2011 census is the first for 10 years in Jersey; they were previously carried out every five years.

The form is compulsory with a £1,000 fine possible for not completing it.

The census asks islanders for all different types of information about their lives and will be used by policy-makers to help determine how services are used and whether they can be targeted better.