I also said that the reasons for the parents sending their children to religious instruction classes were irrelevant, and (probably) nobody's business. This irrelevance applies to half of your post. However questionable the motives of the parents, the children have been put in the hands of the instructor for a reason. I would expect that a person who takes on the responsibility of teaching a class in religion would be focused on the spiritual aspect of the mission and not on analyzing the worthiness of the individual students to hear the message. God only expects us to do our jobs as best we can and that is what we are held accountable for. The motives of others are not our responsibility. I think that cutting these children off from an opportunity to learn about their Catholic religion was extremely short sighted and in both the short and long term, very hurtful to them spiritually.
If their parents are not taking them to Mass, then just what are those kids learning? They may be learning a lot of volcabulary and prayers, which are fine, in and of themselves, but they are not learning about living their faith. They are only with that teacher, at the most, one hour a week. From their parents the rest of the time, they are learning that their faith is just something you do every now and then when you feel like doing it, but apparently doesn't mean a heck of a lot.
Because of the woefully inadequate CCD instruction since Vatican II, and the lax attitudes of Pastors and Directors of Religious Education during that same time, there are two whole generations of Catholics who have that attitude about their faith. That's why when "Catholics" are polled, they say they don't agree with what the Church teaches. For one thing, they have no idea what the Church truly teaches, only what they hear on the tv news or read in the papers. For another, they are just not interested because to be so might upset the comfortable lives they've created for themselves. It never occurs to them that they may feel empty precisely BECAUSE they're living without faith.
And just to let you know, I'm not a Rad-Trad Catholic. The Latin Mass holds no real fascination for me, and I'm an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist who either receives or gives Holy Communion in the hand every Sunday of the year. I'm just fed up with cultural Catholics who think that the entire Church should cater to them and their feelings. If they want to leave, that is on their own souls, and doubly so because they are the ones responsible for the religious education of their children. If they truly want their children prepared for the Sacraments, they'll start getting themselves to Mass. And if the Parish won't do it, they could do it themselves. Somehow, I don't think they'll bother.