Nationalist politicians have welcomed the scaling down of the loyalist protest along the route to the Holy Cross girls' primary school in north Belfast but said it is not enough.
Speaking after about 100 children and parents had been escorted into the school in Ardoyne, Mr Gerry Kelly, Sinn Fein's North Belfast Assembly member, accepted the scaled-down protests by loyalists were an improvement but insisted more needed to be done.
"It's better than yesterday; the physical attacks did not happen but children were still frightened," he said. "To describe it as a peaceful protest is erroneous."
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said some people have insisted on a right to protest and have tried to justify this blockade by asserting this right. There is no right to protest against children, he said.
SDLP Assembly member Mr Alban Maginness agreed that the tactic of noise-making adopted by the protesters was an improvement but described their attitude as still "belligerent".
"I welcome the de-escalation in the loyalist protests but whistle-blowing and horns is still not conducive to the creation of a peaceful atmosphere," he said.
"I want to see that ended and I want to see a further de-escalation in loyalist protests so children can go peacefully to school. That will allow the creation of a cross-community forum to address all the outstanding issues and concerns of both communities."
Mr Billy Hutchinson, the area's Progressive Unionist Assembly member, welcomed the peaceful nature of the protest and said he believed there was an element of hope if the communities could work together through their respective clergy.
Mr Hutchinson paid tribute to the Catholic priest in the area, Father Aidan Troy.
"I put my faith in Father Troy and [Protestant clergyman] Norman Hamilton and I think if anybody in the churches wants to get involved they should do it through them," he said.
Mr Hutchinson called for any negotiations to follow a structured process with nationalists addressing the residents' concerns.
"Unless you have a structured process it isn't going to work and that's what people need to focus on; its not about saying, call the protest off and that's it," he said.
The North Belfast DUP MP, Mr Nigel Dodds, urged the residents in Upper Ardoyne to maintain a peaceful and dignified protest.
"It is essential that violence in no way is allowed to happen and that the wishes of the Glenbryn community in Upper Ardoyne is respected in terms of their wish for no violence," he said.