Across the world, war, extremism, and displacement deny children the right to education. Schools are destroyed, teachers killed or forced to relocate, textbooks burned, and classrooms turned into barracks. The UN estimates that 85 million of the 234 million school-age children affected by conflict worldwide have no access to education at all. The consequences extend far beyond the classroom, impacting physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. Since 2011, the photographer – son of a teacher and father of an 11-year-old – has documented this crisis across nine countries, from Western and South Asia, to Europe and South America.
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2026 Photo Contest - West, Central, and South Asia - Long-Term Projects
Hijacked Education
Photographer
Diego Ibarra Sánchez
Shutter Speed
1/1600
ISO
160
Camera
EOS R5m2
Jury comment
This long-term project examines the impact of conflict on children across multiple regions, emphasizing education, resilience, and the ongoing struggle of societies affected by war. Through consistent, committed coverage over several years, the photographer combines intimate portraits, symbolic imagery, and children’s own quotes to convey their experiences, needs and hopes. The work offers a globally resonant account of how education and daily life shape the next generation in the aftermath of conflict.