<![CDATA[Purpose: This study systematically analyzes the readiness of school counselors to integrate character education, career guidance, and social-emotional learning within the Merdeka Curriculum at the junior high school level. Methodology/approach: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted on ten peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2022 and 2026. Articles were identified through Google Scholar and selected using PRISMA guidelines. Data were analyzed qualitatively through thematic synthesis. Findings: School counselors’ readiness remains at a developmental stage. Conceptual readiness toward developmental counseling is relatively strong, but operational, assessment, and collaborative readiness require further improvement. Character education supports the Pancasila Student Profile, yet counseling services remain largely reactive. Career guidance still focuses on information delivery rather than developmental assessment, while social-emotional learning has not been systematically integrated due to limited competence, training, and implementation guidelines. Readiness is influenced by professional competence, assessment literacy, school support, policy, and continuous professional development. Practical implications: Schools and policymakers should strengthen training, assessment literacy, developmental career guidance, social-emotional learning, and collaborative counseling programs. Originality/value: This review conceptualizes counselor readiness as a multidimensional construct requiring integrated implementation of the three domains within comprehensive school counseling.]]>
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