A friend called with a common dilemma: her teen boy was not pushing himself in school. He was smart and his 8th grade math teacher recommended that he take an honors math class next year. He said "no" - too much work. My friend wondered if she should just force him to take the class, particularly because his school "tracked" students. Those who took 9th grade honors were eligible for 10th grade honors. Those that did not were not eligible for 10th grade honors.
My simple answer: "yes". Her teen boy is too young to make significant decisions that could affect his future.
There is a different question: after forcing him to do something he doesn't want, you should spend time figuring out how to "get buy-in". You don't want your son self-sabotaging himself to either proving he was right or to get back at you. That's where learning how to motivate your son comes into play.
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