THIS weeks State Government education funding announcement is more than welcome in regional areas. More than welcome because of the disproportionately lesser amount of education funding provided for the vast majority of country schools in the state budget earlier this year compared to what metropolitan schools and those in marginal seats received. It also appears a fairer system than previous because students receive support based on their individual and family needs rather than the postcode of where their school may be or the schools so-called socio-economic level. This produced the farcical situation where families were rewarded financially for taking their children out of a so-called middle-of the-road school, despite how comfortable they felt or how well that school was doing its job, to enrol in a school judged as being in need of greater financial support. The majority of funding must always be based on the childrens individual needs otherwise too many in real need of support will continue to fall through the cracks. Sadly, while politicians eventually make the decisions on where funding goes, those in marginal seats will more often than not come out on top. In the meantime, while this funding has been welcomed by local schools, it is worth remembering that it is for learning programs not infrastructure. If the State Government, Education Minister James Merlino, Premier Dan Andrews and Jaclyn Symes (MLC, Northern Victoria) really want to win some fans, try opening the cheque book a little further for some much needed maintenance and building projects in the Ovens Valley or at least give an indication when some of these long-standing issues are to be resolved.