Change in the practices concerning students who are completing teachers’ pedagogical studies (60 cr)

Uniarts Helsinki and Tampere University have updated their cooperation agreement concerning the organisation of teachers’ pedagogical studies as follows:

As of 1 August 2025 and on behalf of Tampere University, Uniarts Helsinki is obligated to check extracts from criminal records of new students who have been selected to complete teachers’ pedagogical studies (60 cr) and whose practice periods involve work with minors. The checking is related to the legislation concerning unsuitability for studies, i.e. SORA legislation, which obliges Tampere University and concerns teacher education, for example.

At the Sibelius Academy, the extract from criminal records is checked also from students who will be participating in courses (that include a practice period with minors) as part of teachers’ pedagogical studies (60 cr) before they have been selected to complete the aforementioned study module.

The extract is checked by the academic affairs team of the academy or unit at the start of studies and at least by the time the student begins their first practice period or study unit involving work with minors. If the student does not present an extract from their criminal records before the start of their first practice period or study unit involving work with minors, they cannot be allowed to participate in the studies in question.

The extract from criminal records is checked once during the completion of the study module. If a student’s studies do not include a practice period that involves work with minors, their criminal records are not checked. 

Instructions for students for ordering an extract from the criminal records

• Order an extract from your criminal record from the Legal Register Centre. Extracts from the criminal records for working with children – Legal Register Centre.
• International students may request so-called exchange of information when they request an extract so that the data is shown on a Finnish criminal record extract. However, only an extract from the Legal Register Centre is checked when checking extracts concerning international students.
• The extract from the criminal records must not be older than 6 months. The extract is delivered free of charge to the student.

Procedure for checking the extract

• The extract from criminal records is checked by the academic affairs team of the academy or unit at the start of studies or at least by the time the student begins their first practice period or study unit involving work with minors.
• The person who checks the extract is typically the planning officer of the programme.
• The extract is presented in person either in electronic format or as a paper copy. Due to data protection and information security reasons, the extract cannot be sent by email. It cannot be checked on Teams or Zoom either.
• The person checking the extract returns the document back to the student after it has been checked.
• Note: The academic affairs team of the academy or the unit only checks the extracts that do not state offences defined by law. If the extract reveals offences defined by law, the student agrees on the extract check procedure with the legal counsel of Tampere University, tuomo.ratinen@tuni.fi. If a situation arises where a student’s right to study would have to be revoked on the basis of the SORA legislation, Tampere University will take care of the process.