Canada's largest school board will survey students on their sexuality, race and ask other personal questions in an effort to help better serve all students, reported The Toronto Star.

The questions are part of a sweeping new census the Toronto District School Board will give to its 270,000 students.

They hope the survey would shed light on how the students live, learn and feel about themselves, as well as gauge their views on their schools and their neighbourhood.

In the voluntary survey, students will be asked more than 55 questions.

Those in grades 9 through 12 will be asked whether they are straight or gay, lesbian, transgendered, bisexual, queer or two-spirited (an aboriginal term used to describe people who display both male and female characteristics).

"Look, sexual orientation is part of a student's reality; we know students are affected by the extent to which they are accepted by their peers for their sexuality," Lloyd McKell, the board's executive officer of student and community equity, told The Star.

"So if we want to be true to the full range of diversity among students, we have to get an understanding of that as well."

Students may choose not to answer, or can check off a box that says "not sure."

The survey was originally sparked by concerns that schools were quicker to expel black students than white ones. That's why the Ontario Human Rights Commission urged the board to start tracking suspensions by race.

But the survey has grown from a racial snapshot to a sweeping profile of how students live and learn.

According to the board, the survey will help schools put programs in place to close the achievement gap that exists with some groups of students.

The board field-tested the 20-minute written survey with 10 schools in June and will provide a teacher's guide, and a brochure and promotional video to explain the purpose of the survey to students and families.

The board also gave its 30,000 employees a voluntary survey in June that asked for respondents' sexual orientation in a bid to making hiring and promotion practices more fair.

Students in Grades 7 to 12 are expected to be given time in class to fill out the 20-minute survey in the week of Nov. 6 to 10.

For students in junior kindergarten through Grade 6, the survey will be sent home at the end of March to be filled out with parents.