TORONTO - Parents called it "outrageous" and the Opposition cried foul on Friday over an Ontario school board's controversial new survey, which will ask students private questions, including whether they are gay.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will issue the voluntary survey to students in Grades 7 through 12 starting Nov. 22.

News of the survey created a wave of opposition, with many parents and critics arguing these are private questions.

"I have enormous difficulties when they're asking children to disclose their sexual orientation," said Lori Pothier, who has two children in the Ottawa school board, one in Grade 7 and the other in Grade 9.

"You're asking someone in Grade 7, a 12-year-old child, to disclose something that could have ramifications down the line," she added.

While students' names don't appear on the surveys, there is a code number on each survey that links to the name of a student -- a big concern for some parents who worry about security breaches.

In Toronto, Opposition Leader Tim Hudak said parents and students who are voicing strong concerns in the Ottawa-area are "absolutely right."

"It's an important discussion that we have in our own families, at an age-appropriate time in the schools," said Hudak. "I'm just not convinced that quizzing students as young as Grade 7 on sexual orientation has much to do with classroom education," he added.

Along with questions about sexuality, the 40-part survey also asks students about their family's ethnic background and how well their parents are educated.

The question on sexual orientation offers a list of identifiers such as heterosexual, gay, lesbian and "two-spirited," which is how some First Nations gays and lesbians identify themselves.

"If our employer said, 'Are you transgender, are you heterosexual, are you homosexual,' I would think twice about letting them know, because I consider that intensely personal information," said Pothier.

But Barrie Hammond, the board's director of education, said in an email there is a need for such information to ensure equity and inclusion when making decisions.

"We understand that the survey asks some sensitive questions and much of the attention has focused on one or two small elements of the survey," said Hammond. "But everyone has the right to be heard."

The Ottawa board is not the first to delve into personal questions on student surveys.

The Toronto District School Board also hands out a similar survey every five years to students in Grades 9 to 12.

Lloyd McKell, a senior adviser to the director of education at the Toronto board said the questions allow schools to offer proper support.

For example, he said a question on sexual orientation helps schools provide more effective anti-homophobia awareness programs for students.

"There's an educational value to knowing the extent to which we can provide these preventive programs for students," said McKell, adding the Toronto board was never "swamped with massive objections."

But Pothier said an anti-bullying and anti-homophobic campaign should be taught to every student, in every school, no matter what the demographic.

The government said on Friday that parents should address their concerns to the board.

"It is the school board that has put the survey together," said Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky.

"We as a government have made it very clear that locally elected boards have a role and boards make decisions around what they need from families in order to support good education," she said.

Teaching sexuality in the classroom has been a sensitive issue this year.

Fury erupted last spring after some parents and Catholic educators learned new sex ed curriculum would include lessons on masturbation and anal sex.

Outrage over the controversial curriculum grew so loud that Premier Dalton McGuinty abruptly dropped the program, admitting the government hadn't properly consulted parents.

For her part, Pothier said she would feel better about the survey if it were anonymous, but still called the questions "outrageous."

"Teach my child to read and write and speak French," said Pothier. "They don't need to know where my grandmother was born or what level of university I attained."