By Toni Brient tbrient@sunraysiadaily.com.au Member for Northhern Victoria Jaclyn Symes yesterday commended Mildura educators on their approach to keeping children in school and out of the justice system. Visiting the region on a listening tour to learn about education in the region, the upper house member said she was pleased to see a targeted community response to disengaged youth. The day, facilitated by Northern Mallee School Council Presidents Group, included visits to Mildura West Primary School, Merbein P-10 College and Chaffey Secondary College. Ms Symes was also given a guided tour of the Pine Avenue FLO Connect facility, which has enabled more than 50 Mildura students to return to studies after dropping out of school. Whether its an adult or a young person, if they fall through the cracks early on and arent encouraged to make the right choices, then they can end up in the justice system or courts and it costs a whole lot of money to try and fix kids that are broken at the end, she said. When you see places like this that are stepping in at the key point in their lives to keep them on track, or get them back on track, it might cost a small percentage of what it would cost if wed let them keep going. FLO Connect is a partnership between Red Cliffs Secondary College, Mildura Rural City Council and organisations including the Department of Human Services and the Department of Justice. Its considered an alternative education setting for Red Cliffs, rather than a separate campus which would allow it access to greater funding. Principal David Browne asked Ms Symes to take the issue back to Spring Street, along with questions on equity funding and an acknowledgement by government that the cost of educating disengaged students was greater than mainstream students. I believe schools should receive funding on a needs basis, she said. Im not the Education Minister but I think schools are always screaming out for more money and how money can be better used in the education system is something we need to look at. She said she believed Minister for Education James Merlino would be interested in the FLO program. She said the government was working through the black hole in Gonski funding. 06 Mar 2015 Sunraysia Daily, Mildura VIC