Shanghai has been encouraging more males to teach pre-school there, believing men provide good masculine role models in early childhood education.

　　But some applicants have been given the cold shoulder by parents and schools. Many report they have been persuaded by area kindergartens to give up the idea of teaching pre-schoolers, the Shanghai Evening Post reports.

　　According to Tan Xing, deputy director of the city's association for pre-school education, some parents are reportedly not comfortable with their daughters boarding at schools with male teachers in charge.

　　Other kindergartens are said to be resisting the idea of hiring male teachers with the belief they may not stay in their jobs for long.

　　Currently there are fewer than 10 male teachers in all Shanghai kindergartens.