In 2008, Hamburg’s governing coalition planned a major school reform. All children were to learn together for six years instead of four before being sorted into different types of secondary school. After changes negotiated with the opposition, the city parliament passed the law on 3 March 2010, this time unanimously. A parents’ initiative called Wir wollen lernen, we want to learn, forced a referendum. On 18 July 2010, with a turnout of 39 percent, 54.5 percent of voters rejected the six-year primary school, and the core of the reform failed.