Hi,
I'm using a Tab S9 FE 5G (8GB/256GB) and I can say that's a really good device. The Exynos 1380 chip isn't bad at all, and the tablet is always fast and never heats up. You should consider it if the only problem is the Exynos chip because absolutely is not bad as the chip of S22 was at launch time. Tab S8 Plus is another good device of course and the performance are better than S9 FE's, which means that is a more adapt device for your target. Moreover it also got Galaxy AI support with the latest updates, with most of the features that were launched this year with the S24. The only downside of the Tab S8 is that it launched one year before Tab S9 FE and will get one less Android major update.
Have a good day