A Vietnamese teacher is making waves on the Internet after photos of her holding her 28-month-old daughter while giving a lesson at Thanh Da Middle School in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City went viral.

“I saw T.T.K.C. holding her sleeping daughter tight on her chest while giving her geography lesson while I was checking in on classes on March 10,” said Dinh Thi Thien An, principal of Thanh Da Middle School.

According to C., she had few other options than to bring her daughter to school with her.

“I didn’t want to bring my baby to class because so many students were sickened by the coronavirus, but I had no other choices,” C. recalled.

“I normally have my neighbor take care of my baby, but she was busy and my husband was away on a business trip,” she explained, adding that she had many lessons to teach to make sure her students were prepared for upcoming exams.

“In the morning, I let her play alone, but I had to carry her throughout the afternoon because she began crying.”

C. was worried that her daughter would be a distraction but her students were good-natured and excited to have a new ‘classmate’ in the room.

“My students have always been good children. They stay focused, listen well, and finish their assignments on time,” the teacher said.

It is common for teachers to take their children to school, especially kids of elementary school age, school principal An told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“We have a room for teacher’s children," she said.

“As C. is among the key history-geography teachers at our school, it is tough to find a substitute if she needs to take a day off."

C. could have taught online, but she chose to come to in-person classes because she felt it would be better for her students’ learning outcomes.

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