367 Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 15 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8668-7.ch015 Fostering True Literacy in the Commonwealth Caribbean: Bridging the Cultures of Home and School ABSTRACT This chapter takes a close look at literacy in the Commonwealth Caribbean and explores factors that contribute to its status in the region. It links the current state of literacy to historical roots of education and relates it to other educational phenomena such as democracy in education, universal secondary education and technology in education. It argues that the current reported literacy rates for the region may be misleading as evidence suggests that for years, many students have been leaving school with insufcient literacy skills. The chapter proposes that the disconnect between the home or out-of-school culture of students and the academic/school culture contributes to poor literacy development which disempowers young people, especially males. It reports on what is being done to promote literacy in the region and concludes by sharing a vision of the way forward. INTRODUCTION Worldwide it is acknowledge that literacy is a key determinant of development (UNESCO, 2009). A literate society is better able to contribute to the so- cial, political, economic and cultural development of countries. Indeed, in the so-called developing world, there is a thrust to raise literacy levels among the working class and/or the “underprivileged” with a view to helping them to improve their social and economic circumstances, and by extension, those of their countries. Donor agencies that un- dertake assistance in such countries set a high store on literacy and annually they invest large sums of money in literacy programmes. For example, in its Millennium Development Goals, the UN included as a target for the new millennium, an increase in the proportion of children, especially girls, in the developing world learning to read and write (UN, 2006). Furthermore, UNESCO declared a decade of literacy for 2002 to 2012, and emphasis was placed on activities designed to increase the literacy profile of the poorer countries worldwide. It is in this context that much discussion was held S. Joel Warrican The University of the West Indies Open Campus, Barbados