AN Indonesian palace that tourists flock to admire from outside will welcome in Warrnambool College students to dine with its monarch.
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The Victorian government selected four of the school's year nine Indonesian-language students to be among 40 travelling to Indonesia for an inaugural "young leaders" program.
The students departed Sunday and will spend six weeks in the country, mostly attending classes at their sister schools in Yogyakarta and living with a host family.
But Warrnambool College Indonesian teacher Michelle Ladhams said the students were also set to visit the Sultan's Palace, where they will be hosted by the reigning Sultan of Yogyakarta, Hamengkubuwono X.
"Most tourists go to look at the building, but don't get to go in," Ms Ladhams said.
Victorian Education Minister James Merlino will accompany them at the palace, and has arranged to Skype with students back in Warrnambool when he visits the college's sister schools.
The students have each studied Indonesian for nearly three years and said they looked forward to visiting the palace.
"It will be interesting to see how they want us to behave when we're there, obviously the Sultan is a very big deal," student Flynn Rowe said.
Jaynaya Miller, also a student in the delegation, hoped to show Aboriginal cultural items and language to Indonesian neighbours.
"I wanted to go to share my culture, but also learn theirs and teach it in my community," Jaynaya said.
School principal David Clift said the trip was a "fork in the road" moment for the students.
"Whether they recognise this or not, they will come back with understanding leadership and culture, I am absolutely sure that it will transfer to their engagement not only in school but also life," Mr Clift said.
"There is a benefit in being in relationships with our closest neighbours and you can't understand culture unless you understand language."
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