So, my question is, should functional programming be taught in school before imperative, and if so, why is it not more common to start with it?
Though I was not fortunate enough to start off with a functional language, I do have colleagues who did. I also had a friend who studied Math, and the only language he learned while in school was Haskell!
There really are two things: Computer Science and Computer Engineering. Though the line is very thin, IMO, it depends a lot on the course (as mentioned above) and the concerned department's focus area which language to cut your teeth with. Most engineering schools start with one of C, C++ or Java -- which have a potentially large job market. Others, may start with Lisp, Haskell etc.
