You can’t expect all students to learn without being forced to, no matter how much that’s literally the point of them being there.
They’re kids, and they should be treated as such, in both good and bad ways. You might want to make exceptions for the good ones, but absolutely not for the average or bad ones.
How many people would work their current job if money wasn’t a thing?
People of all ages seek rewards — and assessments gate the payoffs. Like a boss fight in a video game gates the progress from your skill growth.