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Hamburg bid farewell to its secondary modern and junior high schools and said hello to new district high schools in the 2010/2011 academic year. After Germany’s education system ranked below average in the PISA international assessment, Hamburg chose a two path reform. Pupils can now study for the Abitur university entrance certificate either for 8 years in a grammar (academic high) school or for 9 years in one of the 51 new district high schools. The reform also allows students to gain non-college leaving certificates or an advanced technical college entrance qualification. A citizen’s vote in mid-2010 vetoed the core reform, which would have replaced elementary schools with a 6-year primary school.