This article re-states the importance of the arts and humanities for education, highlights the declining provision for them in schools, and argues that a fundamental re-think of the purposes of education is required to re-establish creativity at the heart of formal learning.

Much has been written about the social and scientific problems that face the world in the 21st century, including climate change and economic inequality. In this context, the development of talented individuals who can tackle these problems is most important. In this article, the authors discuss the implications of 21st-century challenges for the…