Being a housemaid is a demanding job that earns little pay and less respect - a job for the poor and uneducated. But women with limited job opportunities often have little choice but to become domestic helpers, whether in Indonesia or abroad.

Even though housemaids make a significant contribution to households, they often face injustice, partly because of their poor skills and low education levels. Many report their salaries not being paid. In the worst cases, they experience violence and sexual harassment; many cases remain unsolved.

"Violence and fraud *unpaid salaries* often happen but there is no clear settlement because of the housemaids' poor capacity and knowledge," said Buyung Ridwan, coordinator for advocacy at Rumpun Tjoet Njak Dien, an organization focusing on domestic workers.

Concern about the injustices that housemaids suffer motivated the members of Rumpun Tjoet Njak Dien to establish a special school called the "School of PRT" (housemaids). Its aim is to broaden domestic helpers' horizons and improve their skills, as well as shape their critical thinking skills and teach them about etiquette.

Located in the Wirosaban Barat Indah housing complex in Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta, the school has been running since 2003, offering free education for anyone in, or seeking, a domestic job.

"This PRT school offers education, the combination of skills, critical thinking and etiquette," said the school's principal, Shanti Ardha Chandra. "As well as learning skills, they are also taught about their rights and obligations and the work ethic."

She told The Jakarta Post that, upon graduation, the students would be able to work in the household sector as skilled workers who are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

Enrolling in the school requires no complicated prerequisites or fees. Applicants do not need a graduation certificate with a high score. They do not even need to pass the national exam. The requirement is quite simple: To be a woman aged at least 17. Elementary school graduates and dropouts are encouraged to apply.

"And of course, they should be interested in becoming a domestic helper," she said, adding that the classes are free.

All facilities are provided by the school, including the classroom and the practice room complete with the equipment, and the dormitory. The cost for the three-month course is estimated at between Rp 35 million and Rp 40 million.

The skills the women learn - both theory and practice - include babysitting and domestic skills such as cleaning, cooking and doing the laundry. Among the teachers are those from organizations such as the Institute for the Study of Women and Children.

"At what age may a baby be given a food supplement and what kind of food is it?" a tutor asked, during a class on the theory of nutrition for babies.

She also showed the students how to feed a baby and told them to practice it.

"Now I know how to bathe a baby and feed it, and what food is good for babies," said Ester Yuliati, 17, from Candi Mulyo, Magelang, Central Java.

Babies may receive food supplements after they are at least six months old and the food must be soft like bananas or steamed salmon, the junior high school graduate said.

"If you give them *any kind of* fish, they might not be able to digest it. How could I have known about that before?" she added.

Another student, Fitri Nisa, also a junior high school graduate, said that growing up in a poor family, she had never known about household appliances.

"I'd never touched a washing machine, microwave or other household equipment," said the girl from Prambanan, Klaten, Yogyakarta.

After learning at the school about how to use them, Fitri said she was skilled enough to work in the household sector.

Both Ester and Fitri are aware that people have little respect for their job as housemaids, but they do not care.

"Housemaids are in high demand and I am not ashamed to work as a housemaid," Fitri said.

They said that they did not mind being domestic helpers because they were poor. Ester's parents are both landless farmers who have to work on somebody else's farm; Fitri's parents have no permanent job.

"We don't have money to continue our education. We are thankful we could graduate from junior high school; our families have to work hard to make a living," Fitri said.

Every week, they learn about babysitting for three days; for another three days they learn about domestic skills.

"The theory is in the morning, and the practice is in the evening," Shanti said.

To shape their critical thinking and to help them know their rights and obligations, the school shows them films about activists. They also learn computer skills, some English and about reproductive health.

Shanti added that, following feedback, the school started teaching students about etiquette, such as how to open the door to welcome guests and good telephone manners, including restrictions on making private phone calls when at work.

While many people have shown an interest in hiring the students after they finish the course, Shanti emphasizes that the school is not a housemaid supply agency.

"We only act as the facilitator," she said.

The school has produced 16 batches of graduates, each with between 12 and 20 students.

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