A preschool education college was established at Shanghai Normal University on Monday to address the shortage of kindergarten teachers in the city. Zhu Ziqiang, president of the university, said the college will provide support for teaching staff in preschool education in Shanghai. With undergraduate and postgraduate programs, it will turn its bachelor students into innovative teachers, master students into preschool education experts and doctoral students into theoretical leaders and industrial managers, Zhu said. The college will also provide orientation for new teachers and in-service training for existing teachers, support teachers’ lifelong learning and career development, and carry out exchanges with counterparts in the Yangtze River Delta region and elsewhere in the world. Chen Qun, vice mayor of Shanghai, said there are about 80,000 faculty members in 1,679 local kindergartens which host more than 570,000 children. “Though the current capacity of the kindergartens can meet the demand for preschool education, there is a tight balance between kids and teachers,” he said. “The Shanghai Education Commission should give necessary support, investment and service to the college while district education bureaus should make full use of the college to develop kindergartens in their jurisdiction. I also hope Shanghai Normal University will integrate all its strength to support development of the college.” He said he wishes the college will be a preschool education talent pool to provide teachers and preschool education institution managers not only for Shanghai but also the whole of the Yangtze River Delta region. He also hopes it can provide learning and training opportunities for existing kindergarten teachers and take a lead in related theoretical research and innovation to guide better development of preschool education.