Varied Reaons why
As an Instructor, I see the reason someone takes a class, Is for the gaining of knowledge to get employment, or better their position in the their current job. When I step back and look closer, I see people taking classes as way out of getting employment. At times our system rewards those who are good at using flawed loop holes. These individuals can cause havoc with the groups that do want to learn and use the knowledge. Overall the ones that take the knowledge and succeed make my job very rewarding.
We also deal with the 'professional' student, and often, you are correct; they are present because they have to be somewhere, not necessarily because they want to learn the subject matter. They can detract from the learning environment, so I try to emphasize a positive outcome with this group, because if left to their own devices, they can poison the rest of the group pretty quickly.
