Learning is a consequence of thinking. To understand the relationship between basic skills and creativity, we have to face the old hoary conundrum of transferability, and before doing that it is critical to appreciate the subtle difference between two key concepts which are too often confused in the public mind - Specialisation, and Expertise. A specialist knows all the rules, all the tests, and all the possible combinations and formulae. His authority rests on the depth of his knowledge, and is uncluttered by the need to assess extraneous influences. Discussion with such people is often difficult for they know all the answers or are just not interested.
Experts are quick to grasp the overall situation, rather than just focusing on one part.
The American Professor of Education Howard Gardner defines experts as those who think about a concept by drawing on insights from several forms of intelligence. Experts understand the rules but they also know how to reformulate them and expand them to fit new circumstances. These people are not afraid to link the sciences and the humanities. Such people are rare and, unless Messrs. Woodhead and Hegarty appreciate the difference between expertise and specialisation, we may actually end up having even fewer experts in the future. These are breaking down the barriers between disciplines.