Teenage Olympic hopeful calls for change after being told he can't take skateboarding as part of his high school exams
- last year
A teenage Olympic hopeful has called for change after being told he can't take skateboarding as part of his PE GCSE.
Osian George, 14, is a prodigy and is already preparing for Great Britain trials this summer.
But he has been told he can't do skateboarding as part of PE GCSE due to exam board rules.
The Welsh Joint Examination Committee (WJEC) confirmed the sport was unavailable to students.
Osian, from the Gwendraeth Valley in Carmarthenshire, said: "Skateboarding is something I've been doing my entire life.
"Everyone else can do the sports they're best at and they enjoy, but I've been refused - it's not fair at all."
Skateboarding has always been Osian's passion, and every chance he gets, he's out learning new tricks and skills.
One day he wants to be an Olympic champion.
His decision to pick PE for GCSE last year was largely based on the assumption he could pick skateboarding as part of the qualification, he says.
But having been told its not part of the syllabus, both Osian and his mum Cat Davies, 38, are devastated.
With the help of his family, Osian is now campaigning to get the WJEC to widen their syllabus, to account for less mainstream sports.
Osian said: "Not everyone wants to do football, rugby, cricket or whatever.
"Skateboarding is such a good sport, and now that it is in the Olympics, it's getting bigger and bigger every day.
"If it was part of the exam, it would help me get better grades and I could improve my skating in the process.
"This is something I have done my entire life and is something I know a lot about - it's really important to me."
The WJEC have said the current list of eligible activities will be reviewed in 2025 - but it will be too late for Osian to benefit from any decision.
A spokesperson for the WJEC said: "Our current GCSE in Physical Education includes a broad range of activities that meet the regulatory requirements as set out by Qualifications Wales.
"This was based on a consultation that was delivered in 2015, and unfortunately skateboarding was not identified as an activity to be included.
'However, as part of our new GCSE in Physical Education, which will be taught from September 2025, we will be seeking feedback from our stakeholders on broadening the range of activities.
'We are committed to including a wider variety of opportunities and experiences than we currently offer."
Skateboarding made its Olympic debut in 2022 in Tokyo with two different disciplines: street and park.
Osian George, 14, is a prodigy and is already preparing for Great Britain trials this summer.
But he has been told he can't do skateboarding as part of PE GCSE due to exam board rules.
The Welsh Joint Examination Committee (WJEC) confirmed the sport was unavailable to students.
Osian, from the Gwendraeth Valley in Carmarthenshire, said: "Skateboarding is something I've been doing my entire life.
"Everyone else can do the sports they're best at and they enjoy, but I've been refused - it's not fair at all."
Skateboarding has always been Osian's passion, and every chance he gets, he's out learning new tricks and skills.
One day he wants to be an Olympic champion.
His decision to pick PE for GCSE last year was largely based on the assumption he could pick skateboarding as part of the qualification, he says.
But having been told its not part of the syllabus, both Osian and his mum Cat Davies, 38, are devastated.
With the help of his family, Osian is now campaigning to get the WJEC to widen their syllabus, to account for less mainstream sports.
Osian said: "Not everyone wants to do football, rugby, cricket or whatever.
"Skateboarding is such a good sport, and now that it is in the Olympics, it's getting bigger and bigger every day.
"If it was part of the exam, it would help me get better grades and I could improve my skating in the process.
"This is something I have done my entire life and is something I know a lot about - it's really important to me."
The WJEC have said the current list of eligible activities will be reviewed in 2025 - but it will be too late for Osian to benefit from any decision.
A spokesperson for the WJEC said: "Our current GCSE in Physical Education includes a broad range of activities that meet the regulatory requirements as set out by Qualifications Wales.
"This was based on a consultation that was delivered in 2015, and unfortunately skateboarding was not identified as an activity to be included.
'However, as part of our new GCSE in Physical Education, which will be taught from September 2025, we will be seeking feedback from our stakeholders on broadening the range of activities.
'We are committed to including a wider variety of opportunities and experiences than we currently offer."
Skateboarding made its Olympic debut in 2022 in Tokyo with two different disciplines: street and park.