Screwed by LA or screwed by the holiday companies

[Bluemary3000]

I've just received a letter from DDs school and no holiday time will be given as an authorised absence during term time now. If we want to take it then we will get fined (if paid early) £60 per child per parent. So potentially £240 for us.
Who the hell decided that this was a good idea to introduce this. Working parents are stressed enough as it is without this being added to them.
I'm responsible and only take the kids out for 5 days per term, their sickness levels are very low and they are doing well at school for their age. So why is it that the teachers that know my children cannot say whether they can take time off. Why is it some random no one knows, who may not even have kids or be that well off that holiday prices don't matter to them, get to make a decision like this.
I'm not normally riled by legislation, but this has really wound me up! I work hard all year round and feel that I should be able to take a holiday at what ever time of year I like without being fined!
Having had a quick look at holiday already pre booked (booked on the basis of our local schools policy, which of course now no longer exists). I have looked to move it to the following half term week and it will go from £450 to £1250.
Will the government be saying something to the holiday companies about prices or will they let parents go mad due to lack of financing and no down time due to overpriced holidays.
Thanks I feel a bit better now.

But it is important to be in school. My dd has been having a bad week with lots of friendship issues, spoke to the teacher today who said that 5 children are off because are on holiday at the moment - that is 20% of the class and so all of the friendship dynamics are up in the air.
I am a single parent and have managed to book a week away in the middle of August in a lovely part of the country for £325. I plan on taking the children to EuroDisney at the end of August next year, which I have priced at £450 for 10 days for accommodation and ferry. A decent holiday in the school holidays is not necessarily mega bucks and people should think about the knock on effects on their children, the class teacher and the rest of the class before hopping off in term time!

it is important to learn, not 'to be at school'. some experiences away are much more useful for learning/development than an ordinary school day.

True, bemybebe, but a lot of what we are talking about here is not going to the pyramids, rafting down the Amazon, just regular holidays. And I agree I put it badly in the being at school as opposed to learning, but every day they will be learning something and building and consolidating on previous lessons, so actually being there is important to the learning. I manage to take my children to do lots of learning connected to their topic work on weekends