/u/Georgewb131 welcomed the First Minister to Kilmarnock in order to have a high profile presence on his first majors leafleting session of the Holyrood election campaign.

The town’s strong educational history, being Home to one of only two schools worldwide to boast 2 Nobel Laureates, featured prominently in the locally themed leaflets being dropped through the town’s varied letterboxes. This is something which the Scottish Greens are passionate about, they are completely committed to closing the attainment gap throughout all of Scotland.

The First Minister’s presence generated a flurry of activity among local Green Party activists and supporters, with /u/mg9500 greeting them at the town’s train station. This was particularly true after the mentions of local son Alexander Fleming in the First Minister’s campaign launch yesterday and the local branches fabulous Burns Supper enjoyed at the two national Green Party conferences ago. What followed was a short rallying speech from the First Minister himself.

Kilmarnock, a town of education, a town after my own heart. Moreover this is a town which has punched far above its weight throughout its history much like our wee country just has. There is no where else in the world, I am sure, where a town of less than 50,000 pupils could produce so many internationally recognised brains. This is an outstanding testament to your forefathers and one that I have the utmost confidence that this is exactly what we can work together to achieve in the future.

We don’t want it to be an elite pastime however, everyone has the right to achieve what their abilities allow them to do so. Universal education is the hallmark of a truly developed nation and society but building the schools are not enough. Yes teachers have to teach, and of course, students study but don’t stand there and tell me for one moment that everyone has the same start to life. Ultimately they do not, we can see that quite simply in the higher results that our schools achieve. It can only be up to our government to put all of Caledonia’s children first that’s why our early years provision must increase by another five hours. That’s why we have Free School Meals throughout the land

Anyone, be it the youngest children or a mature student requires to things to perform at their maximum potential in education. Firstly they must want to learn, they must have a thirst for knowledge and be curious about their surroundings. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, they must have the energy to do all that they can do, to perform at their best. This is the heart of our educational programme, the bread and butter issues of learning.

Giving teachers ultimately arbitrary targets is useless if they are unachievable, we must focus on how to get our children where they need to be before looking at the final destination. A train may well need to roll into a railway station but without any fuel it will never reach its terminus. The Scottish Greens shall keep progressive logic in Scotland’s education system because this is what will serve our nation’s future as best as we can.

Together this is what we will work towards, not for ourselves but for all of Scotland’s future generations. This is what we stand for, this is why we campaign and this is why I know that all of you here today will join with me in re-electing the Scottish Greens as our Government next Thursday. It’s really in the interest of all of us.

The group then split into several smaller teams, covering almost every suburb of the town, all the way out to University Hospital Crosshouse in the West and Dean Castle Country Park to the North. Along the way, several excited supporters were encountered and the canvass sheets almost overflowed. Doorstep selfies became almost commonplace for a First Minister who you would be mistaken for thinking was at the peak of his popularity.