Differences in required equipment aside, I believe this is more about prioritization of time within the class. Specifically, trying to ensure that the time is spent on the things that are important for what you want out of the class. For example, there are certain skills that are not required for a rec pass (backup light deployment, etc). If you are going for a recreational pass, why not spend that time continuing to work on buoyancy and trim, or moving from a 3 to a 4 in the areas where you had more trouble?
I'm ALWAYS in favor of instructors asking their students what they want out of the class, and trying to tune the class to deliver that most effectively.