I know why they do it: Java is the closest we have to an "industry standard" programming language. But, given the high failure rate in computer programming teaching (c.f. the FizzBuzz test) there's no excuse for putting beginners on such a steep learning curve.
I know why they do it: Java is the closest we have to an "industry standard" programming language. But, given the high failure rate in computer programming teaching (c.f. the FizzBuzz test) there's no excuse for putting beginners on such a steep learning curve.