Parents are queuing behind the face recognition system. [Photo by Lu Xingjiang]

On the afternoon of June 18, at the entrance of Langqing Primary School in East District. Mr Zhang, 71, slightly squatted and put his face against the palm-sized recognition screen. Instantly, the school gate opened and he could entered the school to pick up his grandson.

This is the "Smart Safeguards in Schools" program, one of Zhongshan's 2019 Top 10 Livelihood Projects. As planned, 21 local public kindergartens, primary and middle schools will install this intelligent security system within 2019, which means parents will all have to "swipe face" before picking up their children.

It is reported that the facial recognition access control system installed at the entrance of the Langqing Primary School features a 3-mega-pixel high-definition camera on top of its recognition panel, with an accuracy rate of above 99.5%. The system was piloted in September 2018 and has seen good results. The program was rendered as "Smart Safeguards in Schools" and was selected as one of the city's Top 10 Livelihood Projects this year.

According to the arrangement, the "Smart Safeguards in Schools" program is carried out by Zhongshan Public Security Bureau with the cooperation of Zhongshan Education and Sports Bureau. The facial recognition access control system is scheduled to be installed in 21 primary and middle schools and kindergartens within 2019. The program will cost around 5.86 million yuan and benefit some 100,000 people. At present, the project is under the did inviting stage.