Adam, Martin, et al<div><br></div><div>I chose my words carefully. I said pascal is good for teaching programming, data structures and algorithms.</div><div><br></div><div>I did not say it was good for software development.</div>
<div><br></div><div>The argument that learning pointers is unnecessary is one I strongly refute. The best mechanics are those who know how engines work. </div><div><br></div><div>I have been interviewing developers for almost a decade. I&#39;m saddened to find developers who know java / python / c# or whatever shiny language who don&#39;t know how a double linked list works. Or why inserts are quick for some data structures and slow for others. Or why searches are fast on some data structures and slow on others. Or the value of pointers.</div>
<div><br></div><div>This is not useless knowledge.</div><div><br></div><div>Btw I was also of that school of thought that C and Pascal are useless. Luckily I got lecturers while I was I school who made us learn them well. Without a doubt they played a big part in shaped my career and installing that programming is not about languages, they are about thinking. And therein is the benefit of C and Pascal - they force you to think.</div>
<div><br></div><div>You&#39;ll be a better java / ruby / php etc programmer for it.<span></span></div><div><br>On Monday, March 25, 2013, Moses Katembu  wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr"><div>@Peter<br></div><div>There is KNEC Bookshop opposite National Bank, Harambee Avenue called Mitihani Bookshop. That&#39;s where I used to buy KCSE past papers 8yrs ago. This <a href="http://www.knec.ac.ke/main/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=102&amp;Itemid=26" target="_blank">link</a> will be helpful to you.<br>

</div><div><br>In 2005 I did my KCSE Computer Studies Project(<b>Transport Management System</b>) in Pascal. Back then we struggled to do the project considering there were few semi-qualified high school tutors. The school Library had two copies of early 80&#39;s donated pascal books. Luckily the Postal Corporation had just unveiled those caged computer (Cyber) and our school having one outside the gate  googling helped us alot.  Did I say I had 10 Diskette to store my project in-case one fail.<br>

<br>8 years later I would be surprised if they still use Pascal and Diskette as it was KNEC requirement to submit the Project in 2 Diskette.<br><br></div><div>+1 Python.<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div>

On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 8:37 AM, Martin Chiteri <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a>martin.chiteri@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 11:16 AM, Adam Nelson <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a>adam@varud.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br></div><div><div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">

<div dir="ltr">The same could be said for C.  What&#39;s the point in learning about memory management, etc.. when it&#39;s a niche problem that has been &#39;solved&#39; in modern systems?<div><br></div><div>The answer is that memory management, etc.. hasn&#39;t been solved for low level systems (kernels and drivers) and that working in higher level languages like Python can benefit from knowing how internals work.</div>



<div><br></div><div>Nonetheless, people have a certain amount of time to dedicate to learning and that&#39;s a real issue.  Time spent in C is time that could have been spent on studying Philosophy, Literature, Science, History, and all the other critical fields of study necessary to grow a modern, liberal society.</div>


</div></blockquote><div> </div></div><div>@Adam,  </div><div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">
<div><br></div><div>If I was designing the KCSE, I would certainly focus on Python for advanced students because it&#39;s a language that allows one to work on the widest range of problems, has a shallow learning curve, and is in real world use around the world.</div>


</div></blockquote><div> </div></div><div>I said something similar before and a good number of Skunks started moving towards my direction with pitchforks and torches. Tread carefully ..... :-D </div><span><font color="#888888"><div>

<br></div><div>Martin.</div></font></span><div><div>
<div><br></div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">
</div><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><a href="https://twitter.com/varud" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/varud</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcnelson" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcnelson</a></span><br>



</div></div></div><div><div>
<br><br><div>On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 11:02 AM, Peter Karunyu <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a>pkarunyu@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">


<div dir="ltr"><div><div>@Rad, I have zero experience in either Pascal or Python, and in my ignorance, I am wondering why anyone in their right mind would want to teach Pascal in this day and age...<br><br></div>If you really want to teach the basics of programming, why not do it in C? That way, you pre-condition the kids brain to better assimilate other C derivatives<br>




<br></div><div>Form 4: Beginner C<br></div><div>Year 1: Advanced C<br></div><div>Year 2: C++<br></div><div>Year 3: Java/Python/PHP/Ruby<br></div><div>Year 4: Contributing code to Linux Kernel<br></div><div>After graduation: Take over the world?<br>




</div><div><br></div><br></div><div><div><div><br><br><div>On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 9:16 AM, Areba Collins [ @BrainiacKE ® ] <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a>arebacollins@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>



<blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">




I was just responding to Areba.</blockquote></div>same here bro, Mine was a statement of fact.... <div><div><br>
<br><div>On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 9:14 AM, Rad! <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a>conradakunga@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">




I was just responding to Areba.<div><br></div><div>As for whether it is currently examined I&#39;m to sure but I know it used to be<div><div><span></span><br><br>On Monday, March 25, 2013, Okechukwu  wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
@Rad! there is no one who has given a contrary</blockquote></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></blockquote>
</div>Moses<br><br><br><b><a href="http://www.mzoori.com/" target="_blank">Mzoori</a></b> Are You?<br>
github: <b><a href="http://github.com/katembu" target="_blank">katembu</a></b><br>twitter: <b><a href="http://twitter.com/mkatembu" target="_blank">mkatembu</a></b><br>skype:<b> katembu</b><br>
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