A debate erupted on social media in Uzbekistan over the introduction of a "smart" camera system in educational institutions to track student attendance. The Ministry of Preschool and School Education has commented on the situation.

The ministry explained that intelligent video surveillance systems are currently being installed in a pilot mode only in select schools in the Mirzo Ulugbek district of the capital. According to specialists, the technology is designed to help school administration and parents monitor children's safety and attendance online. However, primary attendance records are still kept by teachers via the e-maktab digital platform.

The ministry also noted that if systematic truancy without valid reasons is detected, inspector-psychologists will be involved, sending official notifications to parents about the need to ensure school attendance. Ignoring such warnings will lead to legal consequences.

The ministry separately reminded that failure to fulfill duties related to children's education and upbringing entails administrative measures under Article 47 of the Code of Administrative Liability. For a first offense, parents face a fine of 1 to 5 times the base calculation value (BCV) (from 412,000 to 2 million soums). If the violation is repeated within a year, the fine increases to 5 to 10 BCV (from 2 to 4.1 million soums).

Source: podrobno.uz