A true but sad story
I started teaching programming language courses in 1977 in a British University, initially FORTRAN and BASIC (ugh).
I then moved to commercially teaching C, then C++ then PHP programming as fashions changed. The age of students coming on commercial programming courses varies, but didn't change substantially and would typically be mostly in their twenties to thirties.
I stopped when an old stalwart exercise became unteachable: having shown students variables, loops and output statements, they were given the simple formula and then asked to write a program which counted 0-100 and printed that value, plus its equivalent in Fahrenheit if it were a Celsius temperature.
For years that was one of the ease-you-in starter exercises, total time expected about 5 mins including getting a biscuit to eat while you did it.
My disillusionment came when increasing numbers of students would look upon this exercise with blank faces. I well remember the first time I said:
"Ok, I've shown you variables, statements and loops, how do you plan to do this exercise?"
Answer: "You haven't show us how to do it"
Me: "I've shown you the tools you need and the formula, how do you think you might start?"
Them (baffled): "But you haven't shown us how to do it"
And that was when I realised what British schools were now turning out. The difference in attitude and approach was truly striking.
I stopped teaching programming courses not long after.