In Kratie province, 57 teachers lean forward intently as an instructor demonstrates how online predators use seemingly innocent gaming platforms to groom children. Among them sits Mrs. Channary, a primary school teacher who admits she previously felt helpless when students mentioned receiving strange messages from unknown contacts. Today, she’s learning not just how to recognize the warning signs of online child sexual exploitation, but how to respond with confidence and compassion.
Mrs. Channary represents one of 288 educators across Cambodia who are transforming from passive observers to active protectors in the digital age. Through a groundbreaking partnership between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and APLE Cambodia, these teachers are receiving specialized training that equips them with knowledge and skills to prevent and respond to online child sexual exploitation and abuse—creating a protective network that extends far beyond school walls.
The collaboration began when both organizations recognized a critical gap in Cambodia’s child protection landscape. As internet access expanded rapidly across the country, children were spending more time in digital spaces that many educators didn’t fully understand. Teachers were often the first adults that children confided in about concerning online interactions, yet few felt equipped to respond appropriately or knew where to turn for help.
This realization led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on “Promoting Internet Safety in Education 2024-2027,” a comprehensive initiative that aims to strengthen the entire education system’s capacity to safeguard children online. With funding from Bread for the World Germany, Terre des Hommes Germany, and the World Childhood Foundation Sweden, the program represents a systematic approach to building digital literacy and protection skills among those who spend the most time with children outside their homes.
The training program has reached five provinces so far: Phnom Penh, Kandal, Battambang, Siem Reap, and Kratie. In each location, both in-service and pre-service teachers gather for intensive sessions that cover the evolving landscape of online threats, from social media grooming to exploitation through gaming platforms and messaging apps. The curriculum goes beyond simply identifying dangers—it provides practical tools for prevention, intervention, and creating supportive environments where children feel safe to disclose concerning experiences.
The December 2025 training in Kratie province, presided over by Undersecretary of State Dr. Soeur Socheata and attended by Deputy Governor Mrs. Kham Sopheap, exemplified the high-level commitment to this initiative. Dr. Socheata emphasized that these trainings reflect the Ministry’s strategy as the prevention group leader in the National Committee for Counter Trafficking, demonstrating how child protection has become a national priority that requires coordinated action across all sectors.
What makes this program particularly powerful is its multiplier effect. Each trained teacher becomes a catalyst for broader community protection. Dr. Socheata encouraged participants to disseminate their gained knowledge and skills to other teachers, students, and family members, creating ripples of awareness that extend throughout communities. A single teacher armed with digital safety knowledge can potentially protect hundreds of children throughout their career while educating countless parents and colleagues.
The program’s impact is already measurable through participant feedback and self-assessments. Among 54 respondents in the recent evaluation, 42% indicated they felt 75% confident in using their new knowledge and skills and sharing them with students, colleagues, and family members. This confidence level represents more than statistical success—it indicates that educators feel genuinely prepared to act as frontline protectors in children’s digital lives.
For teachers like Mrs. Channary, the training transformed uncertainty into empowerment. She now knows how to have age-appropriate conversations with students about online safety, how to recognize behavioral changes that might indicate exploitation, and most importantly, where to refer children who need specialized support. Her classroom has become a safer space not just physically, but digitally, as students learn that they have a trusted adult who understands their online world.
The training covers practical scenarios that teachers encounter daily. Participants learn how to respond when a student mentions receiving friend requests from strangers, how to address inappropriate content sharing among peers, and how to create classroom discussions about digital citizenship that don’t frighten children but instead empower them with knowledge. These skills are particularly crucial in Cambodia, where many parents may have limited digital literacy themselves and rely on teachers to guide their children’s online experiences.
The program also addresses the unique challenges faced by pre-service teachers who are entering classrooms for the first time in an increasingly connected world. These future educators receive foundational knowledge about online safety that they can immediately implement in their teaching practice.