The de-escalation and decline of diversity, equity and integration initiatives in the USA and Hungarian public education: how educators can respond

Abstract

This perspective paper aims to examine the recent de-escalation and decline of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)/DEIB initiatives in education by analyzing developments under the current U.S. presidency and the past 15 years of the Orbán government in Hungary. By identifying parallels, contextual factors and potential consequences, the paper explores what opportunities remain for educators committed to equity and outlines directions for informed, context-sensitive professional action. This exploratory study used a mixed-methods approach, drawing primarily on secondary literature from social sciences, political studies and education. US sources included academic publications, social media and news outlets, while Hungarian data came from research reports and scholarly studies. Using qualitative content analysis, this study identified and coded texts related to the decline of DEI/DEIB, compared themes across the two contexts, and integrated insights from our own classroom research and intercultural practice. The analysis reveals a marked de-escalation of DEI/DEIB in the US, reflected in policy rollbacks, curriculum restrictions, weakened civil rights protections, and a shift toward merit-only frameworks that sideline marginalized groups. Strikingly parallel patterns appear in Hungary, where centralized governance, ideological control, declining educational quality, and growing inequalities illustrate the long-term consequences of dismantling equity infrastructures. Together, the cases highlight how rapid or prolonged anti-DEI measures erode inclusion, mobility and democratic educational values. The paper highlights ways teachers can respond to the decline of DEI by fostering dialogue, applying critical and cooperative pedagogies, and building inclusive, intercultural classroom practices. It emphasizes teacher agency in creating desegregated and collaborative learning environments, despite restrictive systemic contexts. The analysis reveals that weakening DEI exacerbates social division, restricts mobility, and erodes democratic values. Strengthening community–school partnerships and collective action is essential to counter exclusionary narratives and support more equitable, cohesive and culturally responsive educational ecosystems. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is original in its cross-national comparison of the rapid rollback of DEI in the United States with Hungary’s longer-term, systemic dismantling of equity structures. Linking these two contexts provides a rare, forward-looking warning about potential future trajectories in the US. It offers a unique framework for teacher-driven, cooperative and intercultural responses to counter declining inclusion.