A public debate is unfolding in Kazakhstan over the new digital platform "Balazhan": teachers and parents are complaining en masse about the requirement to enter personal data of children and families, reports infohub.kz.
According to NUR.KZ, the discussion has spread on social media. The Instagram account of the teachers' movement "Pedsouzkz" has published appeals from educators who said that when filling out the website, they must enter personal data of students as well.
"It was somewhat alarming — are we obliged to give consent to the processing of personal data?"; "I am a teacher at one of the city schools and a homeroom teacher, and we are now being forced at schools to fill out the 'Balazhan' platform, and it asks for all the personal data of parents, even down to which school each parent attended, their IIN, addresses, and where they work," Kazakhstanis write.
Today, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan issued a statement about the "Balazhan" platform, saying it will allow "timely support to be provided to children." The platform is being introduced by the Committee for the Protection of Children's Rights of the Ministry of Education as part of the implementation of the "Children of Kazakhstan" concept for 2026–2030.
"The main goal of the platform is the timely identification of children in need of special attention and the organization of necessary assistance. 'Balazhan' does not introduce new requirements for collecting information about children and their families. The data that teachers previously kept in paper documents and various information systems will now be consolidated on a single digital platform," the ministry claims.
According to the press service, primary data is entered into the platform once, and thereafter updated only as necessary. Specialists believe this will reduce the volume of paper documentation, ease teachers' work, and improve interaction between specialists.
"'Balazhan' is a module of the National Education Database. The protection of children's personal data is ensured in accordance with legal requirements. The new system is aimed at ensuring continuous support for children in need and improving the effectiveness of assistance provided to them," the press service added.