A resumption of the dispute between Catholics and Protestants at a primary school in north Belfast loomed yesterday amid a breakdown in talks.
A standoff and several nights of violence ensued last June when Protestant residents in the upper Ardoyne blocked an entrance to the Holy Cross Primary School, claiming their homes were under attack from Catholic youths.
No resolution of the dispute was reached before the summer break, and only days remain for the sides to reach an accommodation before the new term begins on September 3rd.
The parents' group, the Right to Education Committee, called on the Democratic Unionist MP for the area, Mr Nigel Dodds, to secure the children's safe passage to school. The group claimed Protestant residents had withdrawn from talks.
"The rights of children to access their place of education without preconditions must be paramount," said Mr Brendan Mailey, a spokesman for the parents. "In the absence of any formal talks, we are calling on political and civic leaders to bring their influence to bear."
However, Mr Mark Coulter, of the Upper Ardoyne Concerned Residents group, denied residents had withdrawn from dialogue. An article in a local newspaper had misquoted him and caused confusion, he said.
"We agreed we were not going to try this in the media, and September 3rd is only around the corner. That's the increasingly annoying thing about it," he said.
Problems had existed during negotiations, chaired by the Mediation Network, but the process had not ended.