Cemlyn Davies said he was upset by the university's stance

Nottingham University said that the person handling Cemlyn Davies' application to study French with politics there had "regrettably misinterpreted" its rules on language subjects.

In a statement, the university said the rejection of the qualification was not a "deliberate discrimination against the Welsh language or the value of an A-level in Welsh".

The Welsh Language Board had earlier protested about the decision not to include the 17-year-old's Welsh qualification as part of an offer of two As and a B to study French with politics.

Meirion Prys Jones, deputy chief executive of the Welsh Language Board, described the situation is "unacceptable and illegal'.

Speaking on Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme, he said the board would voice their concerns to the university, to university admissions body Ucas, and Westminster Education Secretary Charles Clarke.

The university said it was not deliberate discrimination against Welsh

Cemlyn, 17, has said he was upset that his work on the language and literature course would count for nothing.

Mr Prys Jones said the board had received comments about universities before.

He said: "Our response usually is that it's totally unacceptable and illegal.

"Usually when we contact a university we have a positive response... but it is the whim of an individual more than anything else that is the cause of the problem.

"Today we are going to write to Nottingham University, Charles Clarke and Ucas, who deal with student acceptance forms, because they have assured us that Welsh is a totally acceptable qualification in this context," he added.

In an e-mail from the University of Nottingham, Cemlyn was told that the institution looked on the English language "in an entirely different manner to other language subjects".

Review

In a statement issued on Monday, Nottingham University said: "The university told Mr Davies that we did not accept language subjects in the prospective students' native language.

"This does not apply to English and, obviously, it does not apply to Welsh as Welsh has equal status with English as a UK language."

The university apologised to Cemlyn Davies and his family and said it would be writing to him to say that all four A-levels he had offered were fully acceptable.

It will also carry out a review of guidelines for staff working in admissions, looking at the broader issues involved in the acceptance of language subjects.

Earlier Arwel George, head of Cemlyn's school, Ysgol Penweddig, said he would be writing to Nottingham on behalf of his school, as did Ceredigion Plaid Cymru MP Simon Thomas.