About 30 owners of private supplementary education organizations gathered on November 4 outside the capital's akimat building to express disagreement with the introduction of mandatory identification of children via Face ID. The Ministry of Culture and Information (MCI) assessed the actions of the demonstrators, who receive state subsidies, as outright rudeness, reports infohub.kz.
Since 2025, Astana has been implementing a pilot project for placing a unified state order for children's supplementary education. Under the QOSYMSHA.KZ program, children can attend clubs, creative studios, and sports sections at state expense. At the same time, a Face ID facial recognition system is being introduced in children's clubs and sports sections.
The new technology is intended to eliminate fictitious attendance, ensure transparency in the spending of budget funds, and improve the efficiency of financing supplementary education. Thus, the introduction of Face ID completely closes off the possibility of registering "dead souls."
One of the important conditions of the program is confirmation of actual attendance at classes. For this purpose, electronic accounting mechanisms are provided, including QR codes and Face ID facial recognition technology.
Astana's education department explained that the primary concern is the transparency of the use of state funds. The system makes it possible to establish whether a child actually attended the class for which payment is made from the budget. Electronic accounting is intended to make the financing process more transparent and ensure control over the targeted use of budget funds.
Special attention is paid to the protection of minors' personal data. The education department reported that the collection and processing of personal and biometric data are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Personal Data and Its Protection."
In addition, the system used underwent testing in 2025 at the accredited testing center of Infosert LLP within the state technical regulation system. Based on the results, appropriate test reports and documents confirming compliance with established requirements were issued.
Currently, the system operates in pilot mode in two private supplementary education organizations in Astana. The equipment was provided free of charge. No city budget funds were allocated for its purchase.
According to the education department, during the implementation of the pilot project, no complaints have been received from parents or children, and the introduction of electronic mechanisms for confirming attendance is stipulated by regulatory documents.
In particular, the relevant provisions are enshrined in the Algorithm for conducting the pilot project on placing a unified state order for children's supplementary education, approved by joint orders of authorized state bodies dated May 28–30, 2025.
According to representatives of the education department, they have repeatedly conducted explanatory work with service providers. They explained the goals of introducing the system, the legal grounds for its application, and the procedure for confirming children's attendance.
Moreover, special training was organized for representatives of supplementary education organizations. Similar electronic attendance control mechanisms are used not only in Astana but also in other regions of Kazakhstan, including Atyrau, Karaganda, Kyzylorda, and Aktobe regions.
As noted, a paradoxical picture has emerged in Kazakhstan: owners of private education organizations receive state subsidies, but when the state attempts to establish order and ensure transparency, this, as a rule, leads to such "gatherings" near akimats.