"We respect the sentence, as we have done with similar," says Minister of Education, Sport and Social Policy

Mercedes Cabrera, on the failure of the Magistrate's Court in Valladolid which requires a public to remove crucifixes of the classroom. "The Constitution continues Cabrera says that Spain is a secular State and, therefore, the school must also be. And parents and school boards have the right to request the removal of religious symbols. " But the Constitution recognizes the special situation of Catholicism in Spain ... - Yes, and it is a reality that we have respected and that is respected in education. But the state, public, is denominational and must be neutral in matters that fall within the scope of the private. - Is not this ruling will create a new conflict in school? -No. In fact, there is nothing forbidden, and also in most schools already meet this principle. - If other parents seek the opposite of that has been the subject of the sentence? -There will always be to uphold the Constitution. - What if the center decides to keep religious symbols? What we say is that if sentences parents ask what should be withdrawn and democracy in the Constitution and court rulings require us all. - What is the standard of performance of the schools? In the past few years have removed religious symbols at a time that has been the knowledge of besides respecting the religious beliefs and to all the heterogeneity that has been gaining ground in schools and elsewhere in the country. "Citizenship is taught without any problems, except where decisions have been taken unexplained" -How will the school has lived in this process? -There has been a very widespread and 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. -The verdict carries the risk of blurring other problems, including the failure and dropout. Let's talk about the Sector Conference on Education where he has addressed this issue. What we have discussed and agreed with the autonomous communities is the beginning of a plan with a series of measures to reduce school dropout rates. - What is it? -You have a set of proposals whose novelty is that this is about students, families, government, teachers and social agents. The reasons for this implication is that neglect can be explained in terms of education has, but has another aspect arising from the economic and social context in which it occurs. - How will mean to students? -Students will have more training opportunities through the diversification of the teachings and SMS mechanisms to recover for the education system to young people without qualifications, - And the parents? -It will drive parents and schools will promote measures to facilitate their attendance at school meetings with teachers of their children. - How will commit to the social? -We call on employers and unions to promote a culture of education-labor prime possession of at least the title of Secondary Education (ESO) in young people's access to employment. - Is not this a toast to the sun? -The toast to the sun are great. However, this is what we are proposing measures which, moreover, are already used in other countries. Some are feasible in the short term, others need a discussion and agreements longer. In short, this is an initial plan, a package that is not closed. We will have to incorporate other after the assessment to submit the plan by the Bureau on dropout has been formed. "The Constitution says that Spain is a secular State and, therefore, the school must also be ' - Are easy to implement measures? -Honestly, in practice is difficult. But we must try to achieve, over time, and the roads needed to convince employers that it is good that young people they hire have a minimum cualifación pro and they give the possibility to continue their education. If you do not put them in a role as targets'll ever battle. We need to go in that direction. - Is it moving in this direction the reform of vocational training? -Right. Many young people may return to the educational system, which left at a time of bonanza labor to fill jobs without qualification. We have data that with the economic crisis they lose those jobs and others find it difficult to achieve. Many want to return to school to succeed and this is a good time. We can have an economic situation that is bad for some things and others less so. And this is one of them. -You are marked 2012 as the deadline for halving the rate of early school leavers who are in Spain is estimated at 31%? One brand-goals high. It is true that it is not easy but not impossible. I think of the data years ago, and we have been moving in a decade that rates do not change much. - With what resources count for this plan? -The resources for the implementation of the LOE in 2009, 121 million euros, we will allocate priority to those programs to respond to the commitment to reduce abandonment. - Will they be enough? -It is possible that you have to look for new resources and we do, but we can not stop thinking what are we going to do for lack of means. With which we must go by launching initiatives and calculate what is needed to launch it with a commitment to evaluation. - Are all agree? -There is agreement on all administrations as noted in the meeting with the communities. We must learn from each other and make an example of the measures already implemented in some autonomy. -This course has continued the implementation of the Organic Law of Education (LOE), what does it balance? -Both the past and this course, the news is good. Although it is too early to assess its impact, we saw that, since the entry into force, the law has given us the framework to meet the challenges of education. - Was it impossible to reach a broad agreement for approval? In our long-democracy we have examples of how difficult it is to reach agreements in education. But it's more complicated to achieve between parties that in practice. I think, however, that disagreement is a short walk because we are all convinced of the importance of education for our children's future. - Is there in practice the right to choose a school? -Do not give in its entirety but if a large part. It is not easy for all parents to send their children to school in the first election option because they do not meet all legal requirements. There is choice and diversity but we can improve. As for the election, the greatest misfortune that could happen would be to fall in front of the constitutional principle that parents have the right to choose the schools would do so. - What must be said of Citizenship Education? -It is providing seamless, except in communities where the authorities have taken decisions inexplicable.