I think there are a lot of commentators here that are failing to appreciate that this is not about which programming language provides the best introduction to

I think there are a lot of commentators here that are failing to appreciate that this is not about which programming language provides the best introduction to Computer Science or Software Engineering, but which language will inspire students to continue programming. The readership of HN is self-selecting. Almost everyone here was drawn to the world of programming. Very few of you probably had programming thrust upon them. I teach in the UK where all students from the age of 5 to 14 are now required to study computing. I personally teach students from the ages of 11 upwards, so when I'm looking at the best programming language to use, I don't even think about which will provide the best introduction to Software Engineering. My primary concern is what will interest an eleven year old, who's only experience with a computer is using his iPhone, and whose primary interest in life is football. Or how can I make this interesting for a student whose ambition in life is to perform on stage, and has already decided not to continue studying Computing for their GCSEs.