The problem with Perl as a first language (which maybe makes Python a better choice) is that it encourages sloppiness a bit too much. You can certainly resist; but in Python, Pascal, Scheme you can take arbitrary example program off the net and have a decent chance of reading and understanding it quickly. Reading code not written in your presence is an important skill, and developing it with Perl will take more time than with most other proposed first languages.
The problem with Perl as a first language (which maybe makes Python a better choice) is that it encourages sloppiness a bit too much. You can certainly resist; but in Python, Pascal, Scheme you can take arbitrary example program off the net and have a decent chance of reading and understanding it quickly. Reading code not written in your presence is an important skill, and developing it with Perl will take more time than with most other proposed first languages.