The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is delaying a controversial student survey after the province's privacy commissioner received complaints.

On Wednesday, the board said Ontario's information and privacy commissioner wants to see some of the questions before the survey is handed out.

The voluntary, confidential survey has 43 questions and was to be launched Nov. 22.

Its questions cover a range of issues, including sexual orientation, religious affiliation, languages spoken at home, household income, and future career plans. It was to be distributed directly to 115,000 students in Grades 7 through 12. A similar survey was made for the parents of children in kindergarten to Grade 6.

Board director Barrie Hammond told CBC News the information gathered from the survey will help school officials make better decisions about services and programs offered to students.

"The more we know about our students, the more we know about their needs," he said.

It isn't clear which questions were the focus of the complaints to the privacy commissioner.

The board said the questionnaire will be introduced once the investigation is complete.