STATUS OF PLAY SCHOOLS IN ODISHA

The early years of life is critical for the child's cognitive, social and psychological development. In this context role of Play School is very significant. The most essential ingredient in Play School is the provision of engagement of children in play. The teachers in Play Schools are vibrant, enthusiastic, courageous and lovable to tackle with toddlers within the school premises. The investigation aimed at studying the status of Play Schools in Odisha. The sample of the study consisted of 60 teachers selected from 15 Play Schools of Cuttack city of Odisha through the method of purposive sampling. A questionnaire was developed by the investigators for collection of data from the teachers. The findings of the study revealed that the Play Schools were privately run units in rented houses. The schools had good infrastructural facilities but there was hardly any provision for outdoor play. There were no park, pantry, library etc in the Play Schools. All the teachers were female .There was need of adequate number of trained teachers for Play Schools. The teachers were mostly following play way method for classroom transaction. Teachers were not well paid .Suggestions have been given for improving the status of Play Schools in Odisha. Keywords: Play School, Play