Will there be less commotion if students wear uniforms?

It depends on what you call commotion. A lot of the notion it will reduce disruption is unfounded myths and stereotypes. However, there are specific situations where it might help:

1. In gang areas, if everyone is dressed nearly the same, then gang-related incidents might be less likely. If your rivals don't know you are their rivals, they may have less of desire to want to jump you.

2. If there is a lot of classism and bullying across income lines, uniforms might help. Then those who can afford to wear designer fashions won't make fun of those who can only afford used clothing which is likely out of style.

3. There may be less distraction. Maybe if everyone looks boring, then they might be more interested in their work.

However, uniforms can also create problems of their own.

1. This may encourage laziness in teachers. Teachers may put the blame on clothing for distracting students, when the problem might be their teaching style or the curriculum. Some teachers think that forcing someone to copy questions from an overhead and making them read a boring book and get exact answers that require no thinking is teaching. That is about like serving canned food and calling yourself an expert chef. So don't blame the students, their clothes, or their parents if you are a boring teacher. Don't blame students for disrespect when you don't respect them. Respect is modeled and earned (starting with those in authority), not an entitlement. So if you disrespect students' rights to individuality and autonomy, then don't blame them when they return the same type of respect that you earned back to you.

2. Uniforms may encourage immaturity and pass the buck to someone else to deal with the problems that uniforms mask. If someone is only nice to others because everyone is forced to wear a uniform, then they are not emotionally mature at all. You should treat everyone with respect no matter what they wear or what they look like. There is a case to be made for exposing children to clothing differences and diversity in general at an early age. If it causes a "disruption," then punish those who tease or bully because of what someone else is wearing, not the person who is simply being different. Students should be taught the discipline it takes to ignore what others are wearing and focus on their own work. If they can't do that, don't blame others. It is possible that those who are not exposed to differences early on will be more likely to bully people in the streets.