The thing is that Java -> Kotlin is almost entirely frictionless while also adding a lot of value. I can see people preferring Kotlin to Java as a teaching tool

The thing is that Java -> Kotlin is almost entirely frictionless while also adding a lot of value. I can see people preferring Kotlin to Java as a teaching tool if Kotlin gets a little more traction, because of its relative simplicity. (I say this as a long time Java programmer, now trying out Kotlin and enjoying it)