The Ministry of Education will increase the number of kindergartens and teachers as needed over the next few years to avoid potential shortages of preschool resources in the wake of the country's new second-child policy.

"We are keeping in contact with the National Health and Family Planning Commission and will make plans before the rainy day," said Zheng Fuzhi, director of the ministry's Basic Education Department, at a news conference on Tuesday.

According to estimates by authorities, there will be more than 3 million babies born annually under the second-child policy in the next few years. By 2020, the total number of babies born under the policy will reach 17 million.