Madrid - A debate was going on in Spain Tuesday about the presence of religious symbols in public places after a court in the northern city of Valladolid ordered a school to remove crucifixes at the request of some parents.

The crucifixes violated the constitution, which said Spain was a non-confessional state, the court said.

The Socialist government and the conservative opposition initially steered clear of a confrontation over the sensitive subject.

Education Minister Mercedes Cabrera said schools could take individual decisions on crucifixes based on what parents wanted.

Conservative representative Dolores de Cospedal said her People's Party respected judicial decisions but "did not mind" crucifixes in public school buildings, given that most Spaniards were Catholics.

On Tuesday, Socialist spokesman Jose Antonio Alonso said the party's parliamentary group backed the removal of religious symbols from public institutions.

Seville Archbishop Carlos Amigo earlier said eliminating crucifixes "does not favour a (peaceful) coexistence" among Spaniards.

About 80 per cent of Spaniards are Catholics. The country has growing Muslim and Protestant minorities. (dpa)