Under the colonial regimes, there seems to have been an obviously political and developmental role (a social purpose) for geography, in addition to its epistemological and academic role and its role as a medium for education. But post-colonial Caribbean governments and educators do not seem to perceive of such a role for school geography or to have used it to enhance development and a sense of Caribbean consciousness. 
This paper examines the extent to which the geography programme in Caribbean high schools is addressing its social purposes in providing Caribbean students with an adequate knowledge and understanding of the Caribbean reality and with a sense of Caribbean consciousness. The evidence suggests, inter alia, that, due to the structure of the programme and the format of assessment, (i) neither the individual territories nor the region as a whole is adequately studied and examined and (ii) current issues and problems are not addressed in depth nor are potential solutions generated, and (iii) a new framework for the effective teaching of Caribbean geography is urgently needed.