01.08.2025 / Eli Fader
Having worked in Sudan, South Sudan, and Northern Uganda for nearly 20 years, a consistent challenge I’ve observed among the churches is the significant educational gaps due to civil unrest. Widespread school closures and community displacements to refugee settlements severely disrupted people’s learning. As a result, many adults I encountered never had the chance to complete their education, often stuck at primary or secondary levels. A similar story plays out in many other countries around the world caused by economic instability, civil unrest, or unequal access to education, especially in rural and semi-rural areas. Many adults have not completed their primary or secondary education due to a variety of circumstances out of their control. While many genuinely desired to study the Bible through Theological Education by Extension (TEE), their prior schooling limited their access.
For the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of working specifically with TEE in South Sudan and Northern Uganda. When introducing TEE in churches, my primary goal was to find workbooks that matched the educational level of my students. This presented a delicate balancing act: finding materials that aligned with their context, language, and specific topical needs, all while ensuring they were accessible. You’d be surprised how much valuable TEE material remains inaccessible behind denominational or ministry-specific barriers.
Our program ultimately adopted the TEXT-Africa materials. Coming from a formal Bible college teaching background, it took me some time to be convinced by these “programmed” materials. The best way to describe them is a series of breadcrumbs, gently guiding students through the content. The English was remarkably simple: students read only a short paragraph before being prompted to answer a straightforward question. I initially found the repetition extensive, with the same question often rephrased throughout the lesson. I frequently asked myself, “Is this truly effective learning?”
Surprising Impact and Student Engagement
After 10 years of using these simple workbooks, I’m consistently amazed at how much my students enjoy them. “I can finally read something and understand it by myself!” exclaimed one lady who hadn’t finished primary school. She had always struggled in church conferences or workshops due to the overwhelming amount of material covered quickly. With the TEE books, however, she could slowly work through the content at her own pace, processing it thoroughly. Another secondary school teacher shared that despite being a lifelong believer, he had never encountered the simple doctrines of the Bible and key aspects of a believer’s life explained with such clarity as in the TEE material. TEE writers truly excel at carefully presenting complex information. (For more on this, check out Hartwig Harm’s book Writing for TEE: A Handbook for Authors, freely available on teenet.org/teenet-press/writing-for-tee).
When students encountered challenging sections, I found them eager to ask questions during our weekly meetings. Our regular meeting times allowed the tutor to ensure the students comprehend the material through discussion and assessment instead of using the time for content delivery. Furthermore, the students could immediately apply what they learned in their homes or churches because they were learning “on the job.” TEE is deliberately designed to bring the workbooks and courses to the student’s context, rather than removing them from it. This ability to read the workbooks at their own pace, process the workbooks as a group, and apply the workbooks to their lives makes TEE a truly powerful program.
Choosing the Right Workbooks
So, what should you consider when evaluating different workbooks? As I’ve learned, it’s crucial to find material that genuinely fits your students and their learning level. Materials that are overly academic or simply re-written class notes from a professor are ineffective. Guiding adult learners to discover truth and then reinforcing that learning through repetition requires a specific skill. Take your time to understand the learning needs of your students and find TEE workbooks that match their needs. Good theological education is tailored to the educational needs of the audience.
Workbooks alone are insufficient. Adult learners need to process their learning and experiences collaboratively. Therefore, ensure you include regular group meetings. I’ve found it incredibly valuable to present TEE workbooks developed by three different organizations to my partner churches and then allow them to guide the final selection. After all, the local churches know their learners and context best.
One final thought on workbooks: I’ve observed that tutors and facilitators greatly appreciate a well-designed workbook. The workbook provides the “skeleton” of the course, freeing tutors to concentrate on developing meaningful discussion questions and helping students apply the material to their unique individual contexts. I’ve used the TEXT-Africa material with over 10 different tribes across four countries. The material gains its contextual “muscles” and “skin” through the tutors who adeptly apply these workbooks in their various settings. Don’t worry if your chosen workbook isn’t overly contextualized; the tutors and students will make it so in your regular meetings.
[For additional reflections on TEE workbooks, see also the following post: TEE’s core tools: workbooks, workbooks, workbooks.]