LEARNING: Dodong Mediantoko and Deidy Setyawan look on as Harley Matthews and Samantha Percy do their school work.

REPRESENTATIVES from the East Java provincial government travelled all the way to Beechworth Secondary College last week as part of the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE Project.

The project, which is similar to a ‘sister’ school arrangement, aims to increase knowledge and understanding between Australia and Indonesia through school-to-school partnerships that link students in both countries.

For the Indonesian visitors, it is part of a nine-day excursion to make contact with four Victorian schools that are partnered with schools in their home province.

The schools share curriculum and communicate via internet as well as through student and teacher exchanges.

Dodong Mediantoko and Deidy Setyawan were welcomed to the school, and they enjoyed meeting students and spending time in the classroom.

Mr Setyawan said that there were many differences in the school systems between the countries, and that it was not surprising given Indonesia has a population of over 220 million people.

He said Indonesian primary schools have much larger class sizes and are required to adhere to a longer list of compulsory subjects within a short space of time.

"In Australia, students learn in a more fun way whereas we are more serious," Mr Setyawan said.

"Here the students don’t cover as many subjects, but they seem to learn about things in more depth.