The Education Minister said that each school must decide whether to maintain religious symbols

Minister of Education, Mercedes Cabrera, said Monday that the autonomy of colleges must be respected "when making decisions on this issue or any other ", under the court ruling forcing the withdrawal of crucifixes from a public school in Valladolid.

In response to a question from journalists on whether the Government will make a general rule for all schools on religious symbols, the minister said that schools are the ones who know best what kind of students are and what they think parents, because it is participatory.

"I think it should be they who have the initiative and resolve the issues," said the proprietor of Education, who was on a visit to the town of CORUNESA Bertamirns.

"The most valuable" of the ruling, said, is that as the Constitution itself, supports "the denominational character of the state", "and therefore the right of parents or school boards to ask that withdraw from the classroom or public symbols that can respond to the beliefs of some, but not all. "

In connection with the removal of religious symbols in schools, the minister believed that "there has been quite normal, as is both constitutional principles and to the fact that we have in this country with a population increasingly heterogeneously, with very different beliefs. "

Another member of the government, Justice Minister Mariano Fernandez Bermejo, has recommended to the Board of Castile and Leon that "takes note" of the ruling, "makes its performance" and "does not intend to wash their hands" .

The president of Congress, Jose Bono, described the ruling of Valladolid "concrete and timely" because, he said, "Spanish society (...) is" far from any fanatical approach. "

The Church: The important thing is' respect '

In this regard, the cardinal and archbishop of Seville, Carlos Amigo, has opined that the eradication of a sign so ingrained in Spanish culture, as is the crucifix, "not conducive to coexistence," but the important thing is " respect "all symbols, are of any religion.

Other jurisdictions that have ruled on the issue have been the two main political parties. Thus, the deputy general of the PSOE, Jose Blanco, has defended the sentence, as of Spain "a state-denominational."

The secretary general of the Popular Party, Maria Dolores de Cospedal, has expressed his respect for the verdict, although it has as the popular "do not bother them at all" the presence of such symbols in the classroom.

While the Administration of Castilla y Leon (Popular Party) decides whether to resort to the ruling, the Cultural Association School Lay asked the Board to order the immediate withdrawal of the classrooms of any symbols with religious and ideological message.

The president of this organization, Fernando Pastor, has encouraged "any member of any educational community" to which, over the decisions of school boards, take "in the matter", as it has done this entity.

Criticism of the education sector

Among the parents' associations, APEC will be raised against any religious symbol in schools, but has recognized the autonomy of school boards from center to take the appropriate decisions, while CONCAPAN believes that the court decision is part " a political attack against secular rabidly religious symbols. "

Federation of Public Directors (FEDADi) and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Workers in Education (STE) also have rallied against religious symbols in schools.