[...] * Gender gap. The latest PISA study also compared the performance of boys and girls in three key areas of education: reading, mathematics and science. The results show that boys scored higher in science and mathematics than their average across all courses in practically every country, while girls scored higher in reading. These distinctions may explain why boys are more likely than girls to pursue jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related subjects: students may pick their field of study based on comparative strengths rather than absolute strengths. Girls may be equally capable in science as boys, but they are more likely to excel in reading. The result is that girls and women make up less than 25% of students in engineering, manufacturing, construction, and information and communication technologies in more than two-thirds of educational systems. STEM careers, on the other hand, are in high demand and are required to address the world's current concerns, such as COVID-19, climate change, and food and water security. Gender disparities are particularly pronounced in some of the future's fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs, such as computer science and engineering.