198. In accordance with the Constitution, the care and upbringing of children is the natural right and duty of their parents. Detailed information on this matter is contained in paragraphs 170-174 of the initial report of Kazakhstan, considered in 2003.
199. Pursuant to the Convention, the Government recognizes the key role of the family in the upbringing of the child and endeavours, within available resources, to create the most favourable conditions for the fulfilment by families of their functions. Accordingly, the level of allowances for families with children and the number of children covered by different types of services and care are being increased.
200. In order to help parents educate children with disabilities at home with the assistance of educational organizations, on 26 November 2004, the Ministry of Education and Science issued order No. 974 approving Rules for organizing school lessons for children with disabilities
receiving treatment as inpatients in medical, rehabilitation and other health-care institutions, and for helping parents to educate children with disabilities at home with the assistance of educational organizations.
201. However, there are cases in Kazakhstan where parents neglect their responsibilities towards their children. For example, between 2003 and 2005, administrative proceedings were instituted against 15,768 parents and persons acting in loco parentis for failing to fulfil their responsibilities for the upbringing of children, and 4,220 parents were stripped of their parental rights by the courts.
202. In 2005 alone, the internal affairs agencies had more than 12,000 problem families on their files, more than 1,000 parents were stripped of their parental rights by the courts, and compulsory measures, such as removal of children, were taken against 680 parents. Administrative proceedings were brought against more than 2,000 parents.
203. Comprehensive measures are being adopted at the national and regional levels with a view to the early detection of family problems. During the reporting period, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection opened 16 centres providing social services for families and children, with the assistance of NGOs, and 16 psychological and educational centres to assist asocial families with negative tendencies.
204. In order to highlight the importance of a family upbringing, it has become traditional for educational organizations to hold “Family of the year” competitions. Parents’ clubs called “Family meeting” have been established.
205. In April 2003, an international scientific and practical conference was held in Almaty entitled “School and the family:problems of interaction and how to resolve them.”
206. In 2004 and 2005, provincial, district and municipal parents’ meetings, conferences and round tables were held throughout the Republic on the themes “The role of families and schools in the development of the individual”, “Increasing parental responsibility in an individual’s upbringing”, and “Moral education in the family”, with the participation of approximately 100,000 parents, representatives of education, health, social protection and law enforcement authorities, AIDS and healthy lifestyle centres and other concerned organizations. At these events, there was broad discussion of the issues of enhancing the role of the family in the upbringing of children, psychological and educational training for parents, and assistance for dysfunctional families and those in difficult circumstances.
207. The Institute of Professional Training for Managerial and Senior Teaching Staff in the National Education System is currently conducting research on the interaction between the actors in the education and development of the individual. It is also preparing guidelines for parents on how to raise their children, and it plans to hold a training seminar for representatives of national parents’ councils and training courses on organizing cooperation between schools and parents. Professional training courses for various categories of teaching staff include compulsory lectures on working with parents.
208. With a view to generalizing and disseminating experience of work carried out, a national database on the best parents’ associations has been set up, and the Ministry of Education and Science has created a web page on interaction between teachers and parents.
209. Matters relating to separation from parents are dealt with in the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Penal Enforcement Code, the Marriage and the Family Act and the Children’s Rights Act.
210. They are also covered in paragraphs 175-187 of the initial report, considered in 2003, and in the section of the present report entitled “Parental responsibilities”.
211. Various measures are being developed to prevent family problems so as to minimize family disruption, ensure social rehabilitation of families and allow children to stay with their biological families.
212. Thus, pursuant to the Act on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, Child Neglect and Homelessness, in cases where the parents or legal representatives of minors are not fulfilling their obligations regarding the minors’ upbringing, education and maintenance, and/or are having a negative influence on their behaviour or treating them cruelly, the task of carrying out individual preventive work is now assigned to all bodies and institutions for the prevention of child neglect and juvenile delinquency; this is in addition to the work of the tutorship and guardianship agencies.
213. The internal affairs agencies, together with inspectors attached to the Penal Correction Service of the Ministry of Justice, prepare dossiers relating to women given deferred sentences under article 72 of the Criminal Code who do not fulfil their obligations regarding the upbringing, education and maintenance of their children and/or have a negative influence on their behaviour.
214. In order to create the conditions necessary for their lives, education and upbringing, children deprived of parental care are placed in State institutions or fostered by Kazakh families.
215. There are currently more than 16,000 children deprived of parental care in institutions of the education, health and social protection system, including more than 3,000 abandoned children, more than 1,000 foundlings, more than 5,000 children whose parents have been stripped of their parental rights, approximately 1,000 children who are being held in detention facilities, approximately 3,000 sought by the authorities, and more than 900 who are undergoing long-term treatment.