It thus pays to have highly qualified teachers who address gender-specific attitudes within the classroom. Many studies and test results show gender differences in competency levels in these subjects. According to the 2012 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an evaluation of competencies in reading, mathematics and science for 15-16 year-olds, on average, students in OECD countries perform better than students across the Asia/Pacific region (Table 2.1).