一九八七年中華民國解嚴以後，勞工及環保運動紛起，工資、營運成本因而高漲，臺商逐漸外移至工資低廉、海外華人聚集最多的東南亞。一九九四年政府大力推動「南向政策」之後，為了兼顧工作與家庭生活，臺商及其員工更是舉家遷往東南亞設廠、工作。然而臺商、員工甚至中華民國政府駐外人員，因業務需要或任期屆滿，極有可能在幾年之內返回國內，如何使其子女能在返國後順利銜接課程，便成為關注的問題。由於東南亞的華文教育受到當地國的限制，在學制、教材、課程、上課時間等各方面與國內有很大的不同，臺商子女如就讀當地學校，對返國銜接升學，將會產生相當大的困難。因此，解決臺商子女教育問題，最好的方法便是由臺商自行創辦與國內教育制度符合的「海外臺北學校」，以協助臺商子女升學，並負起文化傳承的任務。中華民國政府自一九八九年開始輔導臺商先後成立馬來西亞檳城臺灣僑校、馬來西亞吉隆坡中華臺北學校、印尼雅加達臺北學校、印尼泗水臺北學校、泰國中華國際學校、越南胡志明市臺北學校，使得臺商無後顧之憂，配合南向政策，使臺灣黃昏產業在東南亞尋得春天，並減輕對中國大陸的依賴，然而教育是百年樹人之事業，非常複雜，更何況是史無前例之「海外臺北學校」。本文即在探討在海外華文教育史初創的「海外臺北學校」之成立歷史、現況、困境及解決之道、未來展望。

The rise of labor and environmental conservation movements after lifted the Martial Law of ROC in 1987, which lead to a soaring rise in labor and operating costs. As a result, Taiwan businesses gradually moved to Southeast Asian countries where labor costs are lower and most overseas Chinese gather. In 1994, the government aggressively promoted the "Policy of Investing in the Southeast Asia"; thereafter, for looking after both work and family, Taiwanese entrepreneurs and their employees took their families with them and set up new homes and factories or work in Southeast Asia region. However, due to these Taiwanese entrepreneurs, employees, and even the diplomatic personnel of the government, pursuant to the requirements of their jobs or the limitations of their employment periods, would have to return to Taiwan a few years later. Hence, the problem of their childrens schooling continuity upon their return has become their primary consideration. Since Chinese language education in Southeast Asian nations are limited by the local governments, there is a huge difference between the educational system, teaching materials, curriculum, and schooling hours of these schools and schools in Taiwan. The children of Taiwanese entrepreneurs attending local schools in this area often find it very difficult to connect with the educational system in Taiwan after they returned to Taiwan. The best solution that these overseas Taiwanese could think of is to set up "overseas Taipei schools" that comply with the educational system of the local countries, and at the same time help Taiwanese children reach the necessary educational standards and learn their own cultural heritage. Since 1989, the ROC government helped overseas Taiwanese entrepreneurs to establish the Malaysia Penang Taiwan Chinese School and Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Chinese Taipei School, the Jakarta Taipei School ad Jakarta Taipei School Campus B at Surabaya, the Thai-Chinese International School, and the Ho Chi Minh Taipei School in Vietnam to alleviate the educational problems of overseas Taiwanese. The program was in line with the "Policy of Investing in the Southeast Asia" of the government. It is aimed to help Taiwanese entrepreneurs in the declining industries of Taiwan find opportunities in Southeast Asian region, as well as reduce the dependence of ROC on China. Since education is a lifelong pursuit, matters are quite complicated. Situation is further aggravated by the absence of precedent "overseas Taipei schools" in the host countries. This paper delves into the development history, present conditions, difficulties and problem-solving methods, and prospect of the "overseas Taipei schools" and its role in the overseas Chinese education history.