"The proposed legislation represents a concession from our side"
A new people's petition, led by the "Initiative G9 Now!", has been launched in Baden-Württemberg, aiming to enhance the educational opportunities for students currently attending the eight-year Gymnasium track (G8) in grades 6 to 9. The petition seeks to introduce the option for these students to transition to an extended nine-year variant (G9) and proposes improvements to the planned implementation of the "new G9" model in the state.
The petition, which has been gathering signatures since mid-2025, aims to offer more flexibility to students and parents by enabling a switch to G9 later during the Gymnasium years, instead of only at the start of grade 5 as currently planned. The initiative is designed to address the needs of those who may wish to explore the extended G9 track but have not yet made a decision earlier in their schooling.
Key points of the petition include the introduction of an option for students in Gymnasium classes 6 through 9 to transition from G8 to the extended G9 track, proposals to enhance the educational quality and structure of the “new G9” beyond merely extending the duration, and efforts to broaden public awareness and support through both online and offline signature collection efforts before the deadline in December 2025.
The official introduction of G9 in Baden-Württemberg is planned for the 2025/2026 school year, but initially only for grades 5 and 6. Gymnasien will continue to offer G8 tracks. This milestone is part of a longer transition from G8 to G9 in the state’s educational system.
The petition primarily demands that students from ongoing G8 classes can still switch to an extended G9 variant. It also seeks to improve the planned G9, including starting the second foreign language only in grade 7. If a part of the higher classes does not want to switch to G9, they will still have the right to remain in G8.
The petition does not require any additional financial investment, and schools that have already implemented this approach have seen up to 100% support for G9 in four-year high schools. The rejection of the G9 model by politics is not solely due to more effort but also due to initial cost concerns, which have been addressed by the organizers.
As of July 2025, the petition has collected around a third of the required signatures. The organizers plan to focus on collecting signatures at "free spaces" and bottlenecks for the final sprint. Christoph Müller is the contact person for the new people's petition, and his email address is c.mueller@ourwebsite.
The petition demands a better timetable for teachers and students, more time for learning, and time for leisure activities in the new G9. It also emphasises the importance of keeping the profile subject of IMP (Informatics, Mathematics, and Physics) in the new G9, which is supported by economic associations. At larger schools, more offers in the sense of the G9 model schools could alleviate the pressure.
The state of Baden-Württemberg is returning to the nine-year high school starting in autumn, primarily due to a parent initiative for G9. Notably, Lower Saxony has already switched up to grade eight, but Baden-Württemberg has G9 model schools with three stretching models.
The organizers are aware that they might not reach their goal due to slow progress in the last two weeks, but they remain hopeful. The petition will continue to gather signatures in the coming months, aiming to make the G9 model more accessible and beneficial for students in Baden-Württemberg.
- In an effort to expand educational opportunities for students, the "Initiative G9 Now!" has launched a petition in Baden-Württemberg, advocating for the introduction of a nine-year variant (G9) for students in grades 6 to 9 currently attending the eight-year Gymnasium track (G8).
- The ongoing petition, which focuses on enhancing the educational quality and structure of the "new G9" model, also seeks management support to allow students to transition to G9 later during their Gymnasium years, rather than only at the start of grade 5 as planned.
