in this diocese children enrolled in Catholic high school need on year of preparation in their parish Confirmation program using approved resources, generally monthly candidate-sponsor meetings, and parents must attend a series of 3 meetings for each sacrament as well. the other requirements are defined, Advent day of recollection, overnight retreat, service project assigned by pastor (no collecting “hours” is involved) and being properly disposed for the sacrament, ascertained in an interview with the pastor or his delegate. No parish or DRE can set stricter arbitrary conditions for this or any sacrament beyond what canon law and the particular law of the diocese requires.
Please contact first the pastor, if you yourself are convinced you son is prepared, and if he is not cooperative this really is one situation to go directly to the bishop because he and he alone is the one who has jurisdiction on this sacrament. The pastor must stand up before the bishop and affirm that all those present requesting the sacrament have been properly prepared and are well disposed, and he is within his rights in insisting that the program director or catechists give evidence of that, but the interview is the key step that often gets skipped.
it is a grave violation of canon law to deny the sacraments of initiation to anyone who requests them and is prepared and properly disposed for them.