I get the allergic reactions to ‘21st century skills’ as a term. But if it comes to things like critical thinking of problem solving, I don’t think many think they are completely generic. So it is perfectly reasonable to talk about them and wonder how we go about instilling them.

I also think that most people don’t think they miraculously appear by communicating knowledge. It is exactly the way how we *do* get them, that is more interesting to discuss.

Maybe you don’t want to call them skills, or maybe you like to call them heuristics. Maybe embedded in very substantive domain-specific courses...all fine. But imo keep the eye on the ball, not platitudes (like ‘they don’t exist’)...that’s just distraction.