G9 initiative failed in Hamburg: graduating from high school after nine years remains a dream!

G9 initiative failed in Hamburg: graduating from high school after nine years remains a dream!

The popular initiative "G9 - More time for learning! Educational equity HH" was unable to achieve its goal of returning to the Abitur after nine years at high schools in Hamburg through a referendum. In a three-week collection phase, the initiators only managed to collect around 45,500 signatures, although almost 66,000 would have been needed to bring the issue to the political table. Sammar Rath, the initiative spokeswoman, expressed disappointment, but not dejection: “Those were the most educational weeks of my life,” said Rath.

She emphasized that the initiative will remain active, enter into dialogue with political parties and make suggestions to improve the conditions for high school students. “We have received enormous support from parents,” added Rath, which shows that the initiative does not want to give up despite the setback. The idea behind the referendum is based on the belief that the existing system, which provides for a high school diploma after eight years (G8), brings with it numerous disadvantages for the students who are fundamentally affected.

Background to the initiative

The initiative is committed to reintroducing the Abitur after nine years in order to give students more time to prepare for this important final exam. In many other federal states, the Abitur after nine years has long since become the norm again. Advocates of the G9 return argue that Hamburg high school students tied to the eight-year system will be disadvantaged. Because while they have one year less time to prepare for the Abitur, they have to apply for the same university places as their peers from other regions.

According to the school board, the failure of the initiative was not a big surprise. Peter Albrecht, a spokesman for the authority, expressed relief at the result: “It is good that the Hamburg school system, which has been established, recognized and proven to be successful for many years, is being preserved in this way.” By rejecting the initiative, schools could refocus on improving teaching quality without being distracted by the uncertainties and organizational effort that change would have entailed.

The school structure in Hamburg

The eight-level high school system was established in Hamburg in the 2002/2003 school year. The Hamburg School Peace, which came into force in 2010 and was signed by the CDU, Greens, SPD and Left factions, binds the school structure to the status quo until 2025. This means that, regardless of political changes, no further significant changes should be made to the existing school regulations. The school peace was extended in 2019 together with the FDP parliamentary group.

The popular initiative was controversially discussed by parents, students and experts and was not the first attempt to change the school structure. A similar referendum called “G9-Now-HH” had already failed in 2014. At that time, only around 45,000 of the necessary 63,000 signatures were obtained, which illustrates the challenge of implementing significant change in the education system. The initiative therefore has a strong, but lacking, support network among the general public to realize the plans for a return to the G9.

Overall, it remains to be seen how the discussion about the Abitur in Hamburg will develop. The situation in schools shows that, despite the clear rejection of the initiative, there is still great interest in the discussion about educational equality and the optimal organization of school time. More information on this topic is available on www.shz.de to read.