Okapathana College: Satire in a Digital Age & the Complexity of Audience Response

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In recent months, there has been a surge in social media posts circulating within Sri Lanka, attributing to a school called Okapathana College. These posts highlight the exceptional achievements of students purportedly studying at the said school.

While the creators of such posts are aware of the words' twisted meaning and create these posts on a lighter note mixed with satire, some individuals, even some prominent personalities, have been misled by such posts.

Social Media Posts

Another series of photos was circulated, purporting to showcase "A magnificent straw design created for the sport meet at Rathnapura Okapathana School."

Facebook | Archived Link

One such post which repeatedly gets shared on social media circles, claims of an O/L student from the said Okapathana College designing a satellite, as seen below.

Facebook | Archived

Here is another post claiming to be an amazing robotic creation by one of the students from Okapathana College, who has extraordinary abilities. Archived FB

As seen below, we even noticed recent purported images of the much-talked-about Okapathana College in Rathnapura.

Facebook | Archived

We decided to do a fact check on this.

Fact Check

Confirmation from Education Department: The Sabaragamuwa Province Education Department, which oversees schools in the Rathnapura district, confirmed that Okapathana Vidyala is not situated in any location under its jurisdiction.

Search for School / Village by the name of Okapathana: Independent searches through various mainstream media sources fail to yield evidence of a school named Okapathana Vidyala or a village by the name.

Viral Image of School: The viral image of the school’s name board was most likely created using AI or digital manipulation. Results from the AI detection tests are also testimony to this, as seen below from Hive AI detector.

Other AI Image detectors also yielded the same result, determining the image to be highly likely to be AI-generated and manipulated.

We even noticed that the image of a boy with a robotic model is also AI-generated, as seen here. Some Facebook users also mentioned that the image was AI-generated.

Also, the image used to claim that a student had purportedly made a satellite was nothing but an image used in an art show even to show an artificial satellite model.

Commentary from Senior Academic: The mention of a senior lecturer from Peradeniya University, Aththanayake M. Herath, on a TV program about a student at a rural school in Rathnapura, Sri Lanka supposedly creating a satellite is likely a misinterpretation or misinformation derived from these viral social media posts as there is no evidence to support such a claim. It is not uncommon for misinformation to spread on social media, and academic figures sometimes inadvertently perpetuate it without thorough investigation.

Critique from SL Vlog Team: The SL Vlog Team's critique of senior lecturer Aththnanayke M Herath of Peradeniya University's lack of responsibility when expressing views publicly underscores the importance of verifying information before making public statements, especially in the age of viral social media posts and misinformation.

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Conclusion:

There is no verifiable evidence to support the existence of Okapathana Vidyala or a village named Okapathana in Rathnapura, Sri Lanka. Claims circulating on social media about students' achievements from this purported school, including the creation of satellites, robots, etc., appear unfounded and should be treated with skepticism. It is essential to rely on credible sources and conduct thorough fact-checking before accepting or sharing information, especially regarding extraordinary and sensationalised claims.