It has been proven that an excessive amount of homework, as given by many teachers throughout schools in Singapore,causes stress and lowers the productivity levels of students (CNN Article on Stress Caused by Homework).

By lowering the amount of homework given to students, teachers allow students to exercise responsibilities, which includes finishing what other homework are left, as well as to study for any upcoming tests. Many teachers in Singapore expect students to complete homework within a day or two, especially with the amount of subjects a typical upper secondary school student has taken (usually 6-8).

Assuming that a typical upper secondary school student would be released from school at 5:30 p.m. (remedials, intensive lessons, CCA), a student would take an average of 3 hours to complete all their homework, assuming that no breaks were taken and that the student would study as soon as he gets home. All homework would be done by that one student by 8:30 p.m., sparing him another 1 and a half hour of free time but we all know that students are not superhumans that could complete 3 full hours of "excitement" without stop.

Students' health could be affected by how much homework they do per day, everyday, as shown in the CNN article:
"The researchers acknowledged the limitation of their reliance on students' self-reporting, but felt that it was important to explore the students' firsthand descriptions of their experiences with excessive homework.
And while some of the grousing about having too much homework and feeling stressed out may seem like typical adolescent complaints, this latest study joins a growing body of research that paints a disturbing tableau about the unrelenting pressure on privileged children.
That children growing up in poverty are at-risk for a number of ailments is both intuitive and well-supported by research. More difficult to believe is the growing consensus that children on the other end of the spectrum, children raised in affluence, may also be at risk."

Another extract from the article shows:
" "56% of the students in the study cited homework as a primary stressor in their lives. "We found a clear connection between the students' stress and physical impacts -- migraines, ulcers and other stomach problems, sleep deprivation and exhaustion, and weight loss," Pope observed. "

Aside from views and facts stated from well-published articles, I have an experience of my own where my classmate, named Vienne (not her real name) developed perfectionism over homework and schoolwork. For example, she would get angry and cut herself if she did not receive the marks she wanted for a class test. This has proven to be an effect of doing too much work and having too little play. She would do her homework consistently and would pass it up without fail. Very often, she would not speak with classmates after receving test marks. There are many others like her, not only in Singapore, but around the world. The effects of stress, similar to Vienne's case, is shown in an extract from a WebMD article below (WebMD Article on How to Combat Stress):
"When it comes to school stress, Hannah O'Brien has seen some extremes.The 17-year-old junior at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California, has witnessed students crying in class after getting low test scores, she says, while others have gone without sleep a few nights in a row to keep up with homework."I personally have seen so many of my closest friends absolutely break -- emotionally, physically, mentally -- under stress, and I knew a lot of it was coming from school work," she says.
School stress is serious business. A 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) report suggests that for children and teens, too much work and too little play could backfire down the road. "Colleges are seeing a generation of students who appear to be manifesting increased signs of depression, anxiety, perfectionism and stress," the report says."

By decreasing the amount of excessive homework, probably limited to 2-3 subject homework a day, something that does not take up to an hour to complete, a student could focus more on their interests and spent more time relaxing, therefore balancing the amount of work done (including school) and relaxation. Students were meant to be nurtured and educated, not treated like sponges.

P.S. While at it, the M.O.E. could actually "cut some slack" on the syllabus to make learning a more fruitful and enjoyable journey for students so that we could actually enjoy learning, not absorbing knowledge faster than a leaf could absorb sunlight through photosynthesis by the chloroplasts so that it could provide glucose for the plant, with the help of carbon dioxide and water, to keep itself alive.

Sincerely, the students of Singapore.