Safeguarding the Future: CIA FIRST Hosts CISSA Meeting to Elevate Child Protection Standards
PHNOM PENH, February 27, 2026 — Child safety took center stage this week at the CIA FIRST International School (Russey Keo Campus) as they hosted a high-level meeting of the Cambodia International Schools Safeguarding Association (CISSA). The gathering served as a vital forum for international educators to align their strategies and ensure that every campus in Cambodia remains a sanctuary for its students.
A Unified Mission for Well-being
CISSA was established with a singular, powerful goal: to bring the international school community together to share “best practices” that transcend individual school policies. The meeting focused on:
- Collaborative Safeguarding: Exchanging ideas and common solutions to better identify and mitigate risks to children.
- Standardized Protection: Discussing how to raise the bar for child protection across all international institutions in Cambodia.
- Empowering Educators: Strengthening the role of teachers and staff as the first line of defense in child welfare.
Expert Guidance from the CPU
A highlight of the meeting was the participation of Nick Rose and the team from the Child Protection Unit (CPU) Cambodia. Their presence provided the education sector with expert law enforcement and social work perspectives on:
- Root Cause Analysis: Understanding the modern causes of child endangerment in a digital and physical world.
- Reporting Protocols: Streamlining the methods through which schools can effectively work with authorities to protect victims.
- The Educator’s Role: Reinforcing why schools are the most important hubs for early intervention and raising societal standards of protection.
From our perspective at Schools Cambodia, this collaboration is a milestone. When schools stop competing and start collaborating on safety, the real winners are the children of Cambodia.