MANILA -- The planned K-12 basic education cycle of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is ideal but unrealistic as it will only drive more youths to drop out of school, a neophyte lawmaker said.

Representative Karlo Nograles (first district, Davao City) thinks the expanded education plan, which is dubbed by the Department of Education (DepEd) as K-12 representing kindergarten to 12th grade, is unrealistic under the present conditions of the existing educational facilities.

Nograles, son of former House Speaker Propero Nograles, noted that the government's public school system does not have enough classrooms, teachers and well-equipped educational facilities which are required for the effective implementation of the proposal.

“The reality on the ground is that some schools even have to divide their classes to morning and afternoon sessions to accommodate more students...We need to modernize our public school system first before we could even consider expanding the cycle of our basic education system,” the younger Nograles said.

The education department, headed by Secretary Armin Luisto, is set to bare the details of the K-12 plan on October 5, Teachers' Day. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)