"The proposed legislation represents a concession from our end"
In the heart of Germany, a new people's petition has been gaining momentum since its inception on June 22, 2025. The petition, initiated by the "Initiative G9 Now!", aims to improve the current reintroduction of the nine-year Gymnasium (G9) in Baden-Württemberg.
The petition calls for students in ongoing G8 classes (grades 6-9) to have the option to switch to the extended G9 variant. It also demands specific improvements such as introducing the second foreign language from grade 7 and preserving certain profile subjects like Informatics, Mathematics, and Physics (IMP). The ultimate goal is to collect around 40,000 signatures, which would compel the state parliament to debate and vote on these demands.
As of mid-2025, the petition is still in the signature collection phase, with more than five months remaining to gather the necessary support. Despite a recent slowdown, the organizers, Mirjam Bohr-Wiens and Marita Raschke, remain hopeful but concerned about reaching their goal. To raise awareness and support, they have been actively campaigning, distributing information packages to all Gymnasien in the state and producing explanatory videos.
In a bid to simplify their approach, the organizers are considering a more pragmatic strategy, such as querying the demand for G9 in schools. They are also planning to focus on public events for the final sprint of signature collection.
It's worth noting that this is not the first time such a petition has been raised. In Lower Saxony, the school system was previously extended up to grade eight. Moreover, schools that have already implemented this approach have seen up to 100% support for G9 in four-year high schools.
The economic associations support keeping the profile subject of IMP in the new G9. However, there are concerns about the additional effort involved compared to the G9plus model of the state government. The petitioners claim that their demands cost zero euros.
Baden-Württemberg already has G9 model schools with three stretching models, including the middle school stretching model that makes the last three school years into four after grade seven. The petition also seeks to improve the planned new G9 in Baden-Württemberg.
The initial petition submitted by the founders of the G9 initiative has collected over 100,000 signatures. Despite the two founders stepping back, the initiative continues with new leadership. However, there are concerns about the initial political rejection of the G9 model due to costs and misunderstandings about the petition's demands.
The petition primarily demands that students from ongoing G8 classes can switch to an extended G9 variant, but the right to G8 remains. Almost all teacher associations support starting the second foreign language only in grade 7. The petition is ongoing, and the state parliament has so far not adopted the requested changes, but the campaign continues to seek political action through public support and dialogue with decision-makers.
[1] Petition Website [2] Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs
- In light of the ongoing political debate about the G9 model in Baden-Württemberg, local politics have become increasingly relevant to the discussion.
- As the petitioners campaign for specific improvements in the education-and-self-development sector, particularly the introduction of a second foreign language from grade 7, the management of educational policies is under scrutiny.
