<![CDATA[Purpose: This research examines the management effectiveness of the Merdeka Curriculum under regional autonomy, gauging the synergy between fulfilling local aspirations and achieving national standards to equitably optimize national education quality. Methodology/approach: A qualitative literature review approach was employed. Systematic searches of scientific literature and official government documents from 2017 to 2025 were conducted, followed by in-depth evaluation using qualitative content analysis and thematic synthesis. Findings: Implementation shows significant tension between national flexibility and local contextual adaptation. While regional autonomy provides strategic roles, its success heavily depends on local governance quality. Furthermore, on-the-ground effectiveness is hindered by severe disparities in teacher readiness for innovative practices, and educational inequality in frontier regions remains a critical challenge. Practical implications: Local governments must create responsive policies and provide equitable capacity-building programs for educators to minimize regional disparities in curriculum implementation. Originality/value: This review specifically maps the dilemma between national standard centralization and local aspiration decentralization regarding the ongoing Merdeka Curriculum implementation in Indonesia.]]>
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