Exactly same here, I didn't grow up that long ago but even 10 years ago these stories were almost unheard of...... I don't think the bullying is the issue...... Ya it's terrible that he got bullied but for someone to go from there and kill themselves at any age has far larger issues and for more going on in their lives than being bullied........
The numbers have gone up, but it was happening then too to some extent...
Bullying is a primary issue. It isn't always going to be the only issue or even the main issue, but in this demographic (early adolescence), interpersonal and relationship issues (family and/or friends, including bullying) are a precipitating factor in most suicides. We can talk about blaming the school, blaming the system, blaming parents, etc., and this can be a great and enlightening discussion for a lot of people. But I'm not sure I see the utility in talking about it in the context of this case, where (at least for me) there are so few available details. Even if we think we know, there is almost always FAR more about the situation that we don't know about. My only point here is - by all means, have a great discussion about anti-bullying policies (which, by the way, need to improve tremendously in private schools of all kinds and religions), but this can be done without referring to this child and school specifically.
Mental health also often plays a role (about a third of suicides in this age range had a diagnosed MH disorder), so let's not leave that out.