The subject of the article is of current interest nowadays in the conditions of spiritual and moral crisis provoked by the deep social and economic transformations occurring in modern society. Such public situation makes fall into a muse about the revival of lost cultural wealth, about moral and patriotic reference points in youth education. The aim of the study is identifying and studying the basics of pedagogical system for the formation of civil activity in students during the learning process. That is necessary not only to improve the quality of education and the educational process, but also for the democratization of life in general. The study identifies the main functions of a pedagogical management, specific pedagogical impact, and define special test or questionnaire probable degree of susceptibility or resistance to the student's ideas of others. Historical and pedagogical methods allowed to determine that the problem of formation of civil activity was and is the subject of attention of philosophers, educators and other scientists. Significant results gave a comparative analysis of specific trends in the formation of civic engagement of young people in Europe and Russia. The practical significance of the study lies in developing of a model of the system for the formation of students civil activity; defining stages and conditions of the complex implementation of the process; substantiation of criteria and indicators of youth civic activity.