[horrido]

> It teaches a way of thinking, and it really doesn't matter much which language is used as long as the basic principles are covered.

Nevertheless, schools do not want to teach an inferior language that encourages bad programming habits. They (now) tend to rely on languages with a vocational bent, such as Python and Java. I remember my days in university when odd languages like Scheme and Turing were taught. Now, it's sensible to at least try to prepare the student for the job market. I'm glad they didn't stoop to JavaScript.

> If you are a new programmer reading the article and feeling discouraged, don't lose heart. Build stuff and you'll learn.

Why should a new programmer feel discouraged? There are plenty of good languages to choose from (Java, C#, Python, C++, Ruby, etc.). They offer varying levels of ease, but Python and Ruby would be more than good enough. If you want to do web development, use a transpiled language (). That'll save you much of the grief of JavaScript. (My personal favourite is Amber Smalltalk.)

I agree, build stuff and learn.