The Census: Why It Matters for Planning
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How do we know how many people there are?
Why does it matter?
Think about your school….
If we know these numbers we can help
plan
:
•
How many teachers we need
•
How many school meals we need
•
How many books etc to buy
And if we knew there would be more school children in
the future than there are now, we could plan for the
future
by:
•
Planning new school buildings
•
Training more teachers
But: how easy is it to count these numbers?
When we start trying to count and understand large
groups or
POPULATIONS
of people, it can be difficult
to get the
DATA
that can help us plan
.
This is why we have a
CENSUS.
The
Census
asks questions about each person in the
population and gives us a snapshot of life at that
particular time. British censuses have always asked
questions about topics including:
•
The relationship of each person to the head of the
household (daughter, aunt, servant, lodger etc.)
•
Age
•
Employment
•
Birthplace
Over time, some questions have been added, and
some removed, reflecting changes in society and the
changing uses that the information can be put to.
The first census?
In Roman times, information was
collected to help ensure that taxes
were paid. No detailed records have
survived.
The Egyptians used censuses to
work out the size of the workforce
they would need to build their
pyramids.
The
Domesday Book
is sometimes
considered the first census in the UK.
•
In
1065
, William the Conqueror ordered a complete survey of
people and land in the country. It contained the names of
places, the owners of the land, and the numbers of men, goods
and animals. However, it's not considered a proper census as it
didn't record most women and children, people in towns or
cities, and anywhere north of Yorkshire.
•
The King used this information to work out how much tax he
could raise – he needed money to fund an army as he was
worried about being invaded!
1841: the first modern census
Approximately 35,000
ENUMERATORS
collected the
data for the census
•
They were all men
•
T
hey delivered a separate form to each household
•
People completed the forms themselves - at this time
many people could not read or write so this was a
challenge for some and the enumerators helped
them
•
Enumerators copied this data onto another set of
forms for analysis
•
Nearly 16 million people were recorded across
England and Wales
What were some of the problems with the data
that was captured?
•
Inconsistency – some people rounded ages up,
some rounded down
•
Poor literacy levels often led to incorrect
spellings, and writing that was difficult to read
•
People often recorded nicknames rather than
full names (Will rather than William, Betsy
rather than Elizabeth)
•
Using pencil rather than pen meant some of the
data faded easily
Can we trust the census data?
Most people complete the census truthfully and
accurately.
But:
there are some exceptions!
In 1911 one man described an occupant
of his house as ‘Peter Tabby’ and lists his
occupation as ‘mouser’. His nationality is
‘Persian’. The enumerator has crossed
out the entry with red ink and noted
sternly: ‘This is a cat.’
In 1911
suffragette Emily
Wilding Davison
hid in a broom
cupboard at the
House of
Commons on the
day of the census.
She was
enumerated as a
resident there.
In 2001 almost 0.8%
of the population in
England and Wales
stated their religion
as "Jedi" (referring
to Star Wars),
making it the fourth
largest reported
religion in the
country.
Census data plays a crucial role in planning for resources like teachers, school meals, and infrastructure based on population statistics. Understanding the history and importance of conducting censuses provides insights into how societies have utilized this information over time. From ancient civilizations to modern-day practices, the census helps in shaping future strategies by capturing a snapshot of populations through various questions. Explore the evolution and significance of the census in this informative narrative.
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Presentation Transcript
Lesson 1: Lesson 1: Introducing the census Introducing the census How do we know how many people there are? Why does it matter? Think about your school . You Number of pupils in your class Number of pupils in your school year group Total number of pupils in your school Total across all the schools in your town/city Total in all the schools in the county Total number of school pupils in the country .
If we know these numbers we can help plan: How many teachers we need How many school meals we need How many books etc to buy And if we knew there would be more school children in the future than there are now, we could plan for the future by: Planning new school buildings Training more teachers
But: how easy is it to count these numbers? When we start trying to count and understand large groups or POPULATIONS of people, it can be difficult to get the DATA that can help us plan. This is why we have a CENSUS.
The Census asks questions about each person in the population and gives us a snapshot of life at that particular time. British censuses have always asked questions about topics including: The relationship of each person to the head of the household (daughter, aunt, servant, lodger etc.) Age Employment Birthplace Over time, some questions have been added, and some removed, reflecting changes in society and the changing uses that the information can be put to.
The first census? The Egyptians used censuses to work out the size of the workforce they would need to build their pyramids. In Roman times, information was collected to help ensure that taxes were paid. No detailed records have survived.
The Domesday Book is sometimes considered the first census in the UK. In 1065, William the Conqueror ordered a complete survey of people and land in the country. It contained the names of places, the owners of the land, and the numbers of men, goods and animals. However, it's not considered a proper census as it didn't record most women and children, people in towns or cities, and anywhere north of Yorkshire. The King used this information to work out how much tax he could raise he needed money to fund an army as he was worried about being invaded!
1841: the first modern census Approximately 35,000 ENUMERATORS collected the data for the census They were all men They delivered a separate form to each household People completed the forms themselves - at this time many people could not read or write so this was a challenge for some and the enumerators helped them Enumerators copied this data onto another set of forms for analysis Nearly 16 million people were recorded across England and Wales
What were some of the problems with the data that was captured? Inconsistency some people rounded ages up, some rounded down Poor literacy levels often led to incorrect spellings, and writing that was difficult to read People often recorded nicknames rather than full names (Will rather than William, Betsy rather than Elizabeth) Using pencil rather than pen meant some of the data faded easily
Can we trust the census data? Most people complete the census truthfully and accurately. But: there are some exceptions! In 1911 one man described an occupant of his house as Peter Tabby and lists his occupation as mouser . His nationality is Persian . The enumerator has crossed out the entry with red ink and noted sternly: This is a cat.
In 1911 suffragette Emily Wilding Davison hid in a broom cupboard at the House of Commons on the day of the census. She was enumerated as a resident there.
In 2001 almost 0.8% of the population in England and Wales stated their religion as "Jedi" (referring to Star Wars), making it the fourth largest reported religion in the country.
