Shattered Classrooms

Credit: Kiana Hayeri

"Schools have become battlegrounds, where students and teachers face censorship, violence and fear." 

Her masterclass project, Shattered Classrooms, explores the devastating impact of conflict, extremism, and political decisions on education systems around the world. This project aims to document these global threats and highlight the resilience of affected communities. 

Kiana Hayeri is an Iranian/Canadian photographer who lived in Kabul for eight years. With the Afghanistan chapter now complete, the next phase of the project will expand to other regions, using photography and collaboration with communities to raise awareness of the urgent need to protect education and ensure the right to learn for all, even in the most challenging circumstances.

For the 28th edition of the Joop Swart Masterclass, we brought together 12 emerging photographers from around the world to develop a project, and develop the tools to make a viable career in photography.

The participants' developing projects cover a wide array of topics, from explorations of love amid war to the profound impact of conflict on people’s lives. Collectively, their work highlights the concerning state of the world and the resilience of communities and journalists worldwide.

Launched in 1994, the Joop Swart Masterclass is World Press Photo’s best-known educational program for emerging photographers, encouraging new and diverse approaches to photojournalism, documentary photography and visual storytelling. After a three-year hiatus, the Joop Swart Masterclass returns this year, with a focus on the MENA region, thanks to funding from the Porticus Foundation.