> I don't really have a quarrel with your program starting with
> VB. As a curriculum planner, I'm all too aware that we debate,
> endlessly, the right order in which to introduce languages,
> concepts, tools, etc., without being able to prove our assertions.
> It's all pretty much "religion", with little or no persuasive
> empirical study (of the solid controlled variety) behind it.

Well, it may not be the "solid controlled variety" but I find
John McCormick's report on switching from C to Ada rather persuasive.

> My quarrel was with your assertion that VB would raise your
> retention rate.

What is the goal, to lower the drop-out rate or to raise the
quality of the graduates' skills?  Often, these two goals are
mutually exclusive.