General Chat

Just goes to show that David Cameron had no idea of forward planning!

Florence, ours is next year.

I was an enumerator on the 2001 census, and my area was much reduced on the first day when I discovered that only a small part of a new estate had actually been built!!

I also think I remember that only the first page (with personal details) was compulsory. All the rest was optional. When the forms came back, in sackloads!! all we had to check was whether the first bit was completed, which made the job much quicker. I enjoyed it though.

Ah, I take it all back then. I'll take pot luck with ours after Sunday, maybe it'll be quiet late evenings.

Grannyfranny, they do say that the form can be sent in early, listing those you expect to be in that abode on Sunday, stating that you can let them know if there is any change. It may be to avoid the system crashing if everyone decided to send them on the day - which many will do, rather than complete it during the following working days.

No guidance was sent out with the paper versions.

So I have left my employment history blank. My OH and I disagreed as to what my last job was - at least 15 years ago. But the form implied it wanted details of my last full time job. I could tell them that, but it was over40 years ago. Since then I’ve only had part time jobs.

If they really want to know they can come and explain.

What is the point of sending the forms in before Sunday evening, as that is Census night. You might be suddenly taken to hospital, or worse, or there might be other reasons why you might not be able to be in your own home. Or there might be an emergency and you have a 'lodger', family or whatever.

I haven't looked at the form yet, we too have complicated exam results so will anticipate that part.

I worked door to door on the 1991 census, we had to visit each house 3 times, plus a survey of the area beforehand checking for campers, or squatters. We were given specific dates to carry out the work. I loved the job, and was happy knowing I was contributing to the future of family history research.

Completed the census didn't have any difficulty. I was surprised that my status as widow was not qualified by a question 'previouse spouse, date of death' That would be such a help to future genealogists. However, I got the impression that genealogists have not been considered at all.

I wonder what benefit there is in knowing how many GCSEs, Olevels etc an 80 year old has?

In 2021, Scots will miss the census, as the Scottish Parliament has suspended it. The National Records of Scotland (NRS) conducts the national census and announced earlier this year it would move to 2022..

Ah thanks Sylvia,guess will just have to wait and see.
Rural areas and internet?Hmmmm don't go there..lol

Florence in the Hebrides

Florence .........

no, you're not being dumb at all

I had to google to when Canada was holding a census and when.

We're supposed to be doing one in May ...... although we haven't heard much about it so far.

Apparently they did a test run online last year or late in 2019, and that has led to them changing some questions, or making the questions clearer.

I suppose we'll hear soon.

We do have a problem over here, with the fact that a lot of older people do not have computers, and many areas do not have good internet service ......... in the far north or very rural areas for example.

When I was at school, we had CSE, O & A levels Then came the GCE and after I had left the GCSE.
When I came here to Scotland and I applied to a bank, they had no idea what my qualifications meant as here it was Std Grades and Highers which have now been recently replaced with National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers

Am I being a little dumb here to ask is it only England that is doing a census as I have not received anything through the post about one?

Florence in the hebrides

maggie ...............

I could understand someone from over here not knowing about GCEs and GCSEs, but it shows a certain lack of intelligence for a UK employer not to know the difference.

The university admitting offices here used to have real trouble with the low marks given at O level and A level. Students get marks here, not grade, so having to determine a 30% pass at A level with the usual 60 or 70% pass over here, or the 50% or over top mark vs about 85 or 90%, was often beyond them.

I have 10 O levels ............. but that includes 2 Chemistry O levels! I had to pick up Chemistry after I started the A level courses in the 6th form. At one point I was actually doing the last year of O level Chemistry and the 1st year of A level at the same time/

You'd be quite right in thinking I didn't know what I was doing much of the time! :-D

At the end of that year I took the O level exam and passed.

At the end of the following year, I took A level chemistry, failed to get the minimum pass mark but the mark was above the fail mark for O level, so the Board gave me another O level pass.

I'm never quite sure whether to admit to the second certificate or not!!

This was all a result of having to choose between Arts and Sciences at the end of the 3rd Form in Grammar School, and then changing your mind from languages to Biology during the next 2 years.

It also led me to having 4 A levels ............. Geography, Biology, followed a year later by Botany and Zoology (and the failed Chemistry!)

I did the census for both of us and the question I found a problem was about whether you had served in the Regular Army, The Reserve or not at all. There was nothing to indicate whether National Service should be included and lots of people answering must be of an age to have done National Service. It was Regular Army so in the end I said my OH had served but I don't know if that was correct.

Thank goodness for the census with all its errors. What would we family historians do without it? A couple of years ago my beloved younger brother, who died in January this year, bought me a book called The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker which is a fascinating history of Britain through the census.

Interesting, Von :-D

Sylvia, a couple of years ago, Ididn't get an interview for a job, as it asked for GCSE's - and the grade, then, in a separate box, for GCEs - but no grades.
Well, I have 4 GCE's and 1 GCSE, in Maths, take in 1989.
I put the grade for the GCSE, but (obviously) not for the GCEs.

Well the recruiting team said my Maths was fine, but I didn't put the grades for my other GCSEs, and I needed an 'A' to 'C' in English..
Despite GCE's being separate from GCSEs, they'd assumed they were all GCSE's . :-|
I then had to explain their error to them.

Then they wanted to know what grade my GCE's were - I had to explain that we weren't always given the grades, but a GCE pass was between an 'A' and a 'C'
GCSE.

To be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to work for them anyway. :-(

Interesting article on the National Archives blog Making the census happen

https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/making-the-census-happen/

Not a census, but referring to maggie's doing herself down on education qualifications .................

when applying for a visa to enter Canada back in the late 1960s, OH's qualifications were knocked down by the Visa Officer, because he had too MANY years ............

He has a PhD, started school at age 4 and got his final degree at age 26, so he spent 22 years getting educated.

Canada only allowed 20 years, so the Officer cut 2 years off ........... we've sometimes wondered which 2 years OH "lost"! :-D :-D :-D :-D

The o level was a GCE. GCSE came later.

Education should not come to a halt on leaving school. ;-)

Strange, when my children were at school, GCSE's were called 'GCSE 'O' levels'
Never mind, I have 1 GCSE, so ticked the 'Any other' box,

I've just 'done myself down' on the number of school qualifications I have :-D :-D

We haven't posted ours yet as OH will use it when he helps daughter fill in hers for the first time.

Q31: Under GCEs or Eqivalent
5 or more GCSEs (A*9-4), O levels passed or CSes grade 1
Any other GCSEs, O Levels, CSE (any grades) or Basic skills course.

Then it goes into other exams.

Pity those that have got to work out their GCSE 4-9A* into A*9-4