60 Minutes
8.15pm, Sunday September 22 on Channel Nine
Testing Times
Right now across the country one million students, their parents and teachers are sweating on the NAPLAN results – the national numeracy and literacy tests. NAPLAN began in 2008 to compare all students across the country and better help those who are falling behind. We adopted the idea from New York, where teachers are promoted or sacked on the back of the results, but we haven’t done that here and, instead, the pressure falls on the students to perform. Teachers here claim NAPLAN retards growth and restricts creativity. A NAPLAN revolt is underway, with one principal even likening the tests to child abuse.
Reporter: Ray Martin Producer: David Alrich
Abducted
It’s hard to forget the traumatic scene – as four young girls were dragged kicking and screaming from their mother and put on a plane home to Italy. It was the culmination of a most extraordinary battle between Australian mum Laura Garrett and her Italian husband Tommaso Vincenti. Last year, we revealed how Laura conspired with Australia’s Embassy in Italy to breach the Hague Convention and kidnap her own children. This Sunday, the case against Laura deepens. You’ll see how she manipulated her daughters to win sympathy from the public and then began a torrid facebook campaign against Tommaso. Now Laura’s friends are turning on her and an old accusation has come back to haunt her.
Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Gareth Harvey
TWA 800
It is one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries – the final moments of TWA flight 800. In 1996, the passenger jet, bound for Paris, exploded minutes after take-off from New York’s J.F.K Airport. None of the 230 people on board survived. The explosion occurred within sight of land, on a warm summer evening and several hundred eye witnesses came forward to report seeing a streak of light intercept the plane in mid-air. After a four year investigation, which was plagued by controversy, safety authorities, the FBI and the CIA all rejected the witness accounts and found the explosion was caused by a spark in the centre fuel tank. 17 years later, new evidence has emerged as to what really happened to TWA 800. As Charles Wooley reports, some experts are now convinced the plane was struck by one, or more, missiles.
Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Steven Burling
